Stefan Hussong, accordion

Stefan Hussong was born in Koellerbach an der Saar, Germany, and received scholarships from the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes, DAAD, Akademie Schloss Solitude, and the Art Foundation of Baden-Wuerttemberg State. In 1987 he received the first prize at the International Gaudeamus Interpreters Competition for Contemporary Music. Hussong was awarded the Echo Classic Prize of the German Phonoacademy in the category Best Performer of the Year 1999. That same year his Solo-CD published by DENON with works by John Cage won the Best Record Award of the year. Hussong has premiered more than 80 works dedicated to him and he has recorded more than 25 CD`s, some of which have won several prizes. Hussong has performed as a soloist with, among others, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Musikfabrik Nordrhein-Westfalen, Ensemble Intercontemporain, Ensemble Modern, Klangforum Wien, Rundfunk Symphonieorchester Saarbruecken, and Tokyo Shin Nippon Philharmonic Orchestra. He is professor for Accordion and Chamber music at the Musikhochschule Würzburg. www.stefan-hussong.de/

Michael Kiedaisch, percussion

percussionist and composer works in the creative fields between the genres of new music, improvisation, and jazz. His collaborations with improvising-composers and composing-improvisers such as Mike Svoboda, Stefano Scodanibbio, Scott Roller, etc., reflect this emphasis in his work. As a composer and performer, he has written numerous works for the stage including productions at the Ballet Nürnberg, the Freilichtspielen Schwäbisch Hall, the Forum Theater Stuttgart, and Theater Freiburg. Radio plays include Heiliges Land, Musichall and in collaboration with Michael Riessler 81, Pinocchio, etc. Numerous projects under his own direction (i.e. Trieau, mallets & reeds, ogloudoglou), various projects with Mike Svoboda, performances with ensembles for new music (Percussionensemble Stuttgart, Surplus Freiburg, gelberklang), studio recordings, and his teaching at the Musikhochschule Stuttgart and the University Witten/Herdecke complete his musical activities. www.michaelkiedaisch.de

 

Anne-May Krüger, mezzo soprano

Anne-May Krüger, born in 1978 in Berlin, studied voice at the Universities of Music in Leipzig and Karlsruhe. Since 2006 she has been coached by Rudolf Piernay. Anne-May has participated in masterclasses with Hilde Zadek, Erich Holliger, Wolfgang Rihm, and Ingeborg Danz.  She holds scholarships from the Richard Wagner Verband, the New Music Theater Forum of the Staatsoper Stuttgart, and has received project scholarships from the Academy Schloss Solitude. Following opera productions in Germany and the German-speaking world, including Die Zauberflöte by W. A. Mozart, La Cenerentola by G. Rossini, and The Love for Three Oranges by S. Prokofiev, Anne-May was repeatedly engaged by the New Music Theater Forum of the Staatsoper Stuttgart. She also sang in the Youth Opera of the Staatsoper Stuttgart on a number of occasions. She was a guest both at the Oldenburgisches Staatstheater and the Augsburg Theater and has been a regular guest in the Youth Opera of Mannheim National Theater since 2006/2007. Guest appearances have taken her to Poland, Ireland, Austria, and Switzerland amongst others. The focus of Anne-May’s work lies in the performance of contemporary music. She has, accordingly, sung at such festivals as ‘Klang(g)riffe’ at the ZKM Karlsruhe, ‘Mouvement - Music in the 21st Century’ with the Saarland Radio, ‘WhyNote’ in Dijon and ‘Wien modern’. Anne-May has furthermore taken part in numerous world premieres of music theater works by composers such as Hans Tutschku, Mike Svoboda, and Karola Obermüller/Peter Gilbert. The mezzo-soprano has collaborated with renowned ensembles such as the Ensemble Recherche and the Ensemble Ascolta and since 2006 has been performing with the Mike Svoboda Ensemble. Since 2008 Anne-May has also been part of a duo with the harpist Beate Anton. In the same year Anne-May’s first CD, phonométrie, appeared on the WERGO label with works by Erik Satie and Mike Svoboda. Anne-May has performed with the dancer and choreographer Hans-Werner Klohe at the Academy Schloss Solitude and given concerts at the International Hugo Wolf Academy in Stuttgart and the Hitzacker Summer Music Days. Performances of church music complete her well-rounded profile. www.annemaykrueger.de

Karolina Öhman, violoncello

The Swedish cellist Karolina Öhman performs internationally with a varied repertoire. Tours and festival appearances have taken Karolina to many countries in Europe and Asia. She is particularly committed to contemporary music. Through her collaboration with composers, Karolina has premiered numerous solo and chamber music works. Karolina has performed as a soloist with the Basel Symphony Orchestra, the WDR Symphony Orchestra, Meininger Hofkapelle, Camerata Zürich, Kammerphilharmonie Graubünden, Basel Sinfonietta and the Ensemble Namascae. As a passionate chamber musician, she performs in various formations. She is a member of the Mondrian Ensemble Basel, Ensemble neuverBand Basel, Trio SÆITENWIND, and the Curious Chamber Players Stockholm. In 2008, she founded the cello and percussion duo UmeDuo, with whom she regularly performs throughout Europe. Karolina has been the principal cellist of the Kammerphilharmonie Graubünden since 2016. Karolina studied with Torleif Thedéen, Thomas Demenga and Thomas Grossenbacher and graduated with a soloist diploma from the Zurich University of the Arts. She has won several prizes, including the Swiss Music Prize with the Mondrian Ensemble in 2018 and 1st prize at the Concours Nicati 2013.

Stefan Preyer, double bass

Stefan Preyer was born in Innsbruck/Austria in 1979. He began his musical training at the age of six as a boy soprano in Innsbruck. He later performed as a soprano soloist with the Vienna Boys' Choir. After his voice broke, he decided to take up the double bass, which he studied at the Tyrolean State Conservatory, the Cologne University of Music, and the Berlin University of the Arts. He has been principal double bass with the Basel Chamber Orchestra since 2007. In addition to the chamber orchestra, he also works closely with Giovanni Antonini and his soloist ensemble Il Giardino Armonico. He is also a regular guest performer with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and other ensembles such as the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Ensemble Resonanz, and the Balthasar Neumann Ensemble. He realizes his own projects and appearances in the fields of jazz, performance, and improvisation with his own formations such as Die Freakshow, Grammophon, Trio Oron/Dangel/Preyer, etc. A busy international concert schedule and regular recordings in various formations are evidence of a very active musical career. Stefan Preyer lives with his family in Basel.

João Carlos Pacheco, drums

Stefan Preyer was born in Innsbruck/Austria in 1979. He began his musical training at the age of six as a boy soprano in Innsbruck. He later performed as a soprano soloist with the Vienna Boys' Choir. After his voice broke, he decided to take up the double bass, which he studied at the Tyrolean State Conservatory, the Cologne University of Music, and the Berlin University of the Arts. He has been principal double bass with the Basel Chamber Orchestra since 2007. In addition to the chamber orchestra, he also works closely with Giovanni Antonini and his soloist ensemble Il Giardino Armonico. He is also a regular guest performer with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and other ensembles such as the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Ensemble Resonanz, and the Balthasar Neumann Ensemble. He realizes his own projects and appearances in the fields of jazz, performance, and improvisation with his own formations such as Die Freakshow, Grammophon, Trio Oron/Dangel/Preyer, etc. A busy international concert schedule and regular recordings in various formations are evidence of a very active musical career. Stefan Preyer lives with his family in Basel. João Carlos Pacheco (*1988) is a Portuguese musician who uses drums and percussion as a means of developing new creations in the field of contemporary music. He is most active in the field of new chamber music as a member of Ensemble Inverspace, Ensemble Phoenix Basel, Ensemble of Nomads, TAL Trio, and Blechtrommel Duo. In addition to his work with these groups, he regularly works as a freelancer with various ensembles on the European contemporary music scene. In his work on these projects, he tries to create relationships of great creativity and complicity with the composers, always trying to absorb their ideas and provide them with tools for the realization of their artistic visions, leaving a strong imprint on the works written for him. His appearances at festivals and concert series include Wien Modern, ECLAT (Stuttgart), Lucerne Festival, ULTIMA Festival (Oslo), Gogol Festival (Kiev), ManiFeste IRCAM (Paris), reMusik (St. Petersburg), Festival Neue Musik Rümlingen, Musica(e) (Gradignan), Transit Festival (Leuven), TAKTLOS (Zurich), Tage für neue Musik (Zurich), Sommer in Stuttgart, Klang Basel, Cistermúsica, Festival Próximo Futuro FCG, Dias de Música Electroacústica (Seia), Dias da Música CCB (Lisbon), Xenakis/Karkowski Extended (Warsawa), among others. He has also been in residence at New York University, Durham University, and the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. As a supporter of multidisciplinary work, he has participated in productions at the Lucerne Festival, the Hamburg State Opera, the Beyerische Staatsoper, the Theater Basel, the Lucerne Theater, Wien Modern, and the Zeiträume Biennale.