Núria Andorrà Percussionist and improviser of contemporary music.
nuriaandorra.com
She has a degree in percussion from Esmuc, and later studied at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe (Germany),where he obtained the title of dka i master in contemporary music.
Her main collaborations with contemporary music groups Icarus Ensemble, Abstrai Ensemble, Barcelona 216, Kammart, Patschwork Ensemble. And She work with Carles Santos, Hèctor Parra, Matmos and other interdisciplinary projects.
She Improvised with Agustí Fernández, Le Quan Nihn, Ingar Zahr, Mats Gustafsson, Pablo Ledesma, Nate Wooley, Frances-Marie Uitti, Joe Morris, Ramon Prat, Tom Chant, Johannes Nästesjö, Nenad Markovic, Ivi Rausi. Joachim Badenhorst, Yasmine Azaiez, Anne-liis Poll, Nuno Revelo, Irene Aranda, Marc Vilanova, Alessandra Rombolà. And with the dancers Manel Salas, Constanza Brncic, Iris Heitzinger, Julyen Hamilton and Paolo Cingolani.
She teaches improvisaion on Esmuc, and percussion at Liceu Conservatory and Reus Conservatori of Music.
She is artistic director of the MontMusic Festival, and she is the programmer of Ateneu de les Arts, l’Ex-designer and Ateneu Barcelonès.
Tilo Augsten studied piano and improvisation with Josef Christof, Peter Jarchow and Ralf Rank at the Hochschule f. Musik u. Theater Leipzig. On the educational side he covered lectureships for improvisation in Trossingen, Dresden, Berlin, Tallin and Vilnius. Furthermore, he initiated the “Leipzig Improvisation Competition” and the “Leipziger Courses for Improvisation”. Currently Augsten leads the department of improvisation and ballet correpetition at the Hochschule f. Musik u. Theater Leipzig.
The award-winning piano-improviser extensively worked with dancers and as pianist for silent movies, which stretched out on collaborations with numerous choreographers and dance companies i.e.:
Eduardo Rivero-Walker, Havanna; Johannes Bönig, Paul Mellies, Dresden; Debra Knapp, Los Angeles; Edward Arckless, Paris; Thom Clower, Chicago; Pamela Nagel, New York; Hubbard Street Dance Company of Chicago; Holger Bey, Berlin;Irina Pauls, Leipzig; Ingo Reulecke, Berlin; Sebastian Weber, Leipzig,
as well as with many well-known musicians:
Conny Bauer, Berlin; Bertl Mütter, Wien; Gundolf Nandicco, Leipzig; Peter Jarchow, Berlin; George Cremashi, New York; Friedrich Schenker, Berlin; Hartmut Dorschner, Dresden; Sandra Kreisler, Berlin; Topsy Küppers, Wien.
Christoph Baumann grew up with western classical music and is also deeply rooted in the percussive idioms of contemporary jazz and afrocuban music. His artistic work is oscillating between the poles outgoing improvisation and composition, and he but likes to question the granted positions with humor and absurdity. As a pianist and in particular as a composer he assumes stimulating or critical stances by means of playfully confronting and fusing attitudes and mentalities. His pervading interest to bring different musical stiles into a dramatical context is particularly evident in his big speciality, to taylor his composed and improvised music tightly to theatre and radio plays, dance, films and his three speech-operas. Baumann teaches at the Music Universities of Lucerne and Bern and performs internationally with a big variety of soloists and ensembles.
His musical work is well documented on CDs.
Nicolaas Cottennie studied jazz violin in the conservatories of Antwerpe (BE) and Arnhem (NL). He is currently focusing on Present Time Composition, a method for free improvisation that has been developed by Alan Bern. Nicolaas worked as a researcher in the University of Leuven on the possibilities of improvisation in music education for young children, and in the Antwerp Conservatory on the value of improvisation in the education of professional musicians.
As a violinist, he is mainly involved in klezmer music, where he is specifically focusing on modal improvisation. He also writes music for several interdisciplinary projects, such as music theatre, dance and silent film.
Since her celebrated performance of Mozart’s Concerto in D major at the BBC Proms in 1988, Philippa Davies has established an international reputation as one of the finest flautists currently performing; a’ first-rate virtuoso’ with ‘exceptional eloquence’. She has given many concerto performances and recordings with orchestras in the UK, Europe and North and South America and this season she is in Finland, France, Holland performing concertos, recitals and masterclasses. She was flautist with the Fires of London, Albion Ensemble, Principal Flute with the London Mozart Players and is now a member of the Nash Ensemble and London Winds. Having many recordings to her name, she has recorded Mozart’s entire original concertos and quartets, Bach Flute Sonatas and William Alwyn’s flute music. Philippa got involved with improvisation over the last 3 years and has worked with David Dolan and Bert Mooiman amongst others while taking part in Improvisation Projects in Den Haag ,Tallinn and ICON. She is a Professor at the Guildhall School of Music and each summer runs her own International Flute Course at Benslow, UK and in Cubertou, France.
Paul Dinneweth was born in Brugge and studied at the Lemmensinstituut in Leuven for organ, singing, improvisation and conducting.
A post graduate at Guildhall (London) influenced him to look more for creative approaches in teaching and music making.
He worked as a teacher in different music schools and as a free-lance organist and workshop leader.
He now conducts a large oratorio-choir in Antwerp and teaches ear-training and improvisation in Antwerp and Leuven.
David Dolan has devoted a part of his career as a concert pianist, researcher and teacher, to the revival of the art of classical improvisation and its applications in performance. In his world-wide performances, he returns to the tradition of incorporating extemporisations within classical repertoire in embellished repeats, eingangs and cadenzas.
David is a professor of classical improvisation and its application on solo and chamber music performance at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where he is the head of the Centre for Creative Performance and Classical Improvisation. He also teaches at the Yehudi Menuhin School. He has been conducting masterclasses and workshops worldwide, including Paris and Geneva conservatoires, Tel-Aviv & Jerusalem academies, the Tchaikovsky Conservatoire (Moscow), the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, the New England Conservatory in Boston, the Julliard School, Verbier festival and others. David is an associate of Clare Hall, Cambridge University.
Agustí Fernández is one of the Spanish musicians of major international projection and a world reference in the field of improvised music. Fernández has worked with the founding fathers of the free improvisation scene Peter Kowald, Derek Bailey, Evan Parker, Barry Guy, and with Joe Morris, Mats Gustafsson and Peter Evans, ao , and with improvisers from all over the world. He is a member of the Evan Parker Electro-Acoustic Ensemble, the Barry Guy New Orchestra, the Blue Shroud Ensemble and the Mats Gustafsson Nu Ensemble.
Fernández has also collaborated with dance, theatre, movies and television. Up to the current date he has participated in more than 90 cd’s and has received many recognitions, his solo for piano “Mutza” presented in New York in 2007 was distinguished by the New York magazine AllAboutJazz as one of 10 best concerts from that year. The ‘Agustí Fernández Aurora Trio’ received the second prize at the BMW Welt Jazz Award 2012 celebrated in Münich, Germany.
Since 2001 Agustí Fernández is permanent teacher of improvisation at Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya (ESMuC).
Morten Halle, born 1957, lives in Oslo, Norway. Saxophonist and composer.
Halle has played with a large number of Norwegian bands, and has also been active internationally with Jon Balkes Magnetic North Orchestra (1992-2002) and Geir Lysne (1999 to 2009). He has also worked as a producer for Sidsel Endresen, Solveig Slettahjell and “Come Shine”. He has received the Norwegian states three year grant for artists both as a musician and a composer. Commisions includes work for the jazz festivals in Molde, Lillehammer and Kongsberg as well as the Bergen International Festival. Halle has also composed, performed and recorded music for a large number of films, theater and ballet productions.
Karst de Jong (1961) studied Classical Piano and Music Theory. Shortly after, he started teaching Music Theory at the Conservatory of Amsterdam and the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague. From 2003 he was appointed professor of improvisation and composition techniques at the ESMUC (Escola Superior de Musica de Catalunya) in Barcelona. Karst de Jong pursues to make the practice of improvisation an integral part of the curricula of higher music education.
He regularly gives concerts with improvisations inspired by different styles, both as a soloist and with ensembles. He has given concerts throughout Europe, USA, China and Japan, and taught master classes improvisation and piano interpretation at many international music institutions and music festivals. He released two CD’s with piano-solo improvisations entitled “Improdisiac I & II”. Karst de Jong currently lives in Barcelona.
Mona Julsrud is a Norwegian concert singer with a repertoire that spans from early baroque to contemporary music
Mona has worked with conductors such as Frans Brüggen, Philippe Herreweghe, Roy Goodman and Fabio Biondi. She has recorded Bach’s St. Matthew passion and Mozart’s Requiem with Brüggen and the Orchestra of the 18th Century, and Handel’s Jephtha with Fabio Biondi and Stavanger Symphony Orchestra.
With the ensemble Bergen Barokk, Mona is working on a complete recording of Telemann’s Harmonischer Gottes-Dienst, a series which so far has been received with much praise from the media. She has also recorded music by Scandinavian contemporary composers. With the pianist Marianna Shirinyan she is currently working on a project that explores romantic performance practice.
The last four years, Mona has explored vocal improvisation and has worked with, among others, Anne-Liis Poll and Anto Pett.
She is currently Associate Professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music.
Frank Liebscher finished preclinical studies in medical school before studying saxophone, arranging and music education at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Leipzig, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL (USA) and the Manhattan School of Music, New York City, NY (USA).
In addition to an active musical career as a saxophonist, composer and arranger he teaches at the department of music education at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Leipzig where he earned a PhD in music education in 2009.
Liebscher’s primary research area is practice methodology with a special interest in deliberate music practice. Regarding this topic his first book “Mentales Training & Jazz Improvisation” was publishes in 2011 and followed up by numerous invitations for international lecturing, workshops and publications on music education, music practice and improvisation.
In 2012 Liebscher started working as author, reviewer and consultant for Cornelsen Schulbuchverlag, Berlin.
Liebscher’s recent solo programme stretches out on the six “Cello Suites” (BWV 1007-12) by J.S. Bach, which he arranged for Baritone Sax. www.frank-liebscher.de
Alistair MacDonald is a composer and performer working with technology to explore and create sound. His music draws on a wide range of influences reflecting a keen interest in improvisation, transformation of sound, and space. Many of his works are made in collaboration with other artists from a variety of media, and explore a range of contexts beyond the concert hall, often using interactive technology.
Current projects include Strange Rainbow, a live electroacoustic improvising duo with Scottish harp player Catriona McKay, and The Last Post, a major new work with trumpet player Tom Poulson and director Susan Worsfold for the St Magnus Festival in Orkney and the Edinburgh Fringe. He has also been working with Carrie Fertig, on pieces for glass percussion, electronics and live flame-working.
He teaches and directs the Electroacoustic Studios at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow and is a keen tango dancer.
Urban Mäder. Born 1955 in Switzerland. Studies piano and composition. Professor for improvisation and music education at the Music Department of Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Switzerland. Active as composer and performer.
Co-founder of the Forum Neue Musik Luzern. Diverse prizes and awards (Edwin Fischer Foundation Award, composition-subsidy: Canton Lucerne, Paris-Atelier: Canton Aargau), nomerous commissions.
Currently, he lives for six months as a composer in residence in London. Here he worked among others with the ‘London Improvisers Orchestra’ together.
Una MacGlone is a bassist, working in many improvisational settings across genre and discipline. She has received funding from Creative Scotland, MBF, Glasgow City Council for her own projects and her recordings can be found on many record labels. Una has recorded for BBC Radio 3 programmes including Jazz on 3, Late Junction and Exposure. She is a key member of Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra (GIO), a large improvising ensemble exploring a range of approaches to improvisation (e.g free playing, conduction, graphic scores). With GIO she has worked with Evan Parker, Barry Guy, George Lewis, Renee Baker and has premiered her own work for large improvising ensemble.
Una lectures at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, teaching modules in Free Improvisation. She is completing a PhD investigating her own methods of teaching improvisation drawing on the academic fields of Music Psychology and Music Education. She has given many improvisation workshops, for example, Dartington International Summer School; Columbia University New York and Norwegian Academy of Music (for the Centre of Excellence in Music Performer Education). She has presented her work at several international academic conferences including ISIM, ISME, ISAME, and EERA. Una is part of a research group currently editing a critical anthology of scholarly work exploring new approaches to improvisation pedagogy: Expanding the Space for Improvisation Pedagogy, to be published by Routledge in 2019.
Arnas Mikalkėnas – pianist, percussionist, composer and improviser. He declares that his goal is to foser the non-commercial art of improvised music. Arnas Mikalkėnas teaches in Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, Vytautas Magnus University and Kaunas Juozas Gruodis conservatory. Collaborated with Kenny Wollesen, Michael Moore, Lasse Lindgren, David Stackenas, Liudas Mockūnas, Yumiko Yoshimoto, Hakon Berre, Eugenijus Kanevičius, Arkady Gotesman, Dalius Naujo etc. Arnas Mikalkėnas is member of experimental/improvised music trio “Oak Birches”. Arnas Mikalkėnas appears on those records: “W. Shakespeare 33 Sonets”, A. Mikalkėnas/T.Razmus “Art of Duo”, “Oak Birches”, Oak Birches “Dance Party”, A. Mikalkėnas “The Days of Irish Roses”, A. Mikalkėnas “Sculdubuldu Works Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3 “ORGANisms” etc.
Liudas Mockūnas has been active in the European Jazz scene both as a solo performer and co-leader of many ensembles. The creative interests of Mockūnas are focused on improvised music and experimental jazz. In 2004 Liudas Mockunas and Stefan Pasborg band Toxikum reiceved the “Danish Music Award’ for there album “Toxikum”, Mockunas also has reiceved “Vilnius Jazz Prize” 2006′, Birstonas Jazz 2008, the Lithuanian Musicians Union prize “Golden Disc” 2008′ and the “Golden Cross” for the best Lithuanian drama theatre composer 2011.
Mockunas plays new academic music of such composers as Anatolijus Senderovas, Alvydas Malcys, Dietrich Eichmann, Bronius Kutavicius, Giedrius Puskunigis, Vykintas Baltakas, Viacheslav Ganelin. As a soloist of new academic music he played with Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, Kralovy Hradec Symphony Orchestra, St. Christofer Chamber Orchestra, Klaipeda Chamber Orchestra and string quartet Chordos. Currently, Liudas Mockūnas is an associate Professor at the departments of jazz in the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre.
The Dutch pianist, organist, improviser and music theorist Bert Mooiman studied at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, The Netherlands, where he took his certificates as a solo pianist and organist cum laude. In 2003 he finished his Music Theory studies with a prize winning paper on the relation between the work of Olivier Messiaen and French Romantic tonal harmony. Since then he has taught music theory as a principal subject, improvisation and piano at the Royal Conservatoire, where he also works as a research supervisor. He performs both on piano (solo, chamber music) and on organ (solo, basso continuo). His work as a researcher and his activities as a performer meet in his lifelong interest in improvisation as a basis for true interpretation, which also became the topic of his current PhD research at Leiden University.
Libero Mureddu is an Italian-French pianist, composer and music technologist based in Helsinki since 2003. He has studied Piano and Composition at the Conservatory “G. Verdi” of Milan and Music Technology at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.
A versatile musician, during the past twenty years his musical experiences extended from contemporary and experimental music, to jazz and popular music.
Active pianist and keyboard player in the field of jazz and improvised music, with long-standing collaborations with Giovanni Falzone, the Chant Trio, and more recently with the dance and music collective Liquid, the Korvat auki ensemble and the Mureddu://:Cartheuser duo.
As a composer his main interests are in the fields of algorithmic composition and the exploration of the connection between written composition and improvisation.
Since 2006 he has been working regularly with the Yamaha Disklavier player piano as a composer, performer and technical assistant.
In addition of his artistic activity, Libero Mureddu is the general manager of the NYKY Ensemble, the contemporary music ensemble of the Sibelius Academy.
Anto Pett graduated from Conservatoire of Tallinn (now renamed Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre) as a pianist and composer. Since 1987 he has been teaching harmony and improvisation in the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.
In 1988 he discovered, that improvisation was to become his main means of artistic expression. Since 2002 A. Pett is a regular professor of contemporary improvisation in Est. Academy of Music and Theatre. During his over twenty eight years of teaching A. Pett has developed an original concert improvisation teaching method, that works successfully in teaching process with all instruments and singers. Anto Pett has presented his teaching method and made masterclasses in many Music Schools of Estonia and in several Music Academies and Conservatoire´s (now 46) in abroad.
Anto Pett has been invited to festivals of contemporary music, improvisation and modern dance in and has conducted improvisation orchestra concerts in many countries.
Anne-Liis Poll (PhD, professor in Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, EMTA) received her degree in choir conducting under the direction of Prof. Kuno Areng at the Tallinn Conservatoire and studied singing under the direction of Galli Kulkina, Prof. Eva Märtson-Wilson and Prof. Matti Pelo. Her conducted chamber choir „Eesti Projekt” won the Grand Prix at the international choir festival „Tallinn `88” and she has appeared as soprano soloist in Bach`s Magnificat, Händel´s Messiah and Israel in Egypt, Mozart´s Mass in Cminor etc.
The co-operation with Anto Pett began in 2000, when she started her second master programme in the Higher Theatre School by the Estonian Academy of Music. So far many concerts and voice improvisation masterclasses have been given and several improvisations with different groups have been recorded. The participation in the ensemble „PROimPRO” in different festivals has played an important part in her life and she has co-operated with many masters of improvisational music.
Anne-Liis Poll currently teaches singing and voice improvisation in the EMTA drama department and has developed a voice and creativity teaching method – Voice Games – which she has presented in workshops in many academies and conservatoires in Europe.
Santiago Quintans is an electric guitarist and composer working in the fields of improvisation, modern jazz and contemporary music. His work focuses on the relationship between improvisation and composition as well as the exploration of new digital tools of sound transformation.
A native of Vigo, Spain (1975), he holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz Performance and a Master’s Degree from the University of Miami (USA) as well as a Master’s Degree in Musicology from Université Paris 8 (France). He has written music for contemporary ensembles, dance companies and has worked with some of today’s leading figures in modern Jazz and new music.
Since 20115 Santiago is a Faculty Member at the Jazz Department of the Paris Conservatory (CNSMDP), teaching electric guitar, repertoire and ensembles.
Yves Senden (Belgium). After Studies Classical Philology at the University of Leuven he graduated for organ at the conservatories of Antwerp (Stanislas Deriemaeker) and The Hague (Leo van Doeselaar). He additionally graduated in courses for Harmony, Improvisation, Analysis, History of Music, Chamber Music. In 2009 he obtained a Ph.D. in Arts (Musical Pragmaticism based on Peirce).
At the AP Hogeschool (Royal Conservatory of Antwerp) is coordinates Research and Practical Harmony & Improvisation.
He wrote an improvisation manual for pupils at music school, called Spelen met Inzicht (‘playing with understanding’; title includes a pun which cannot be translated).
Franziska Schroeder is a saxophonist and senior lecturer, based at the Sonic Arts Research Centre, Queen’s University in Belfast.
She trained as a contemporary saxophonist in Australia, followed by invaluable lessons in Bordeaux with saxophonist Marie-Bernadette Charrier. In 2006 she completed her PhD at the University of Edinburgh, researching performance and theories of embodiment. Her recordings include several CDs on the Creative Source label, a recording on the SLAM label with a semi-autonomous technological artifact, a 2015 pfmentum recording of free improvisation with two Brazilian musicians and a 2016 Bandcamp release with her female trio Flux.
Franziska teaches students in improvisation, digital performance and critical theory at Queen’s. She has been the Artistic Director for the 2012 and 2016 Sonorities Festival of Contemporary Music and has curated, for many years, for the NI Science Festival, enabling a public audience access to sonic arts and digital technologies.
- https://improvisationresearch.com
- www.improvisationinportugal.wordpress.com
- http://improvisationinbrazil.wordpress.com
Jaak Sikk a pianist and improviser. He is currently teaching improvisation at the Academy of Music and Theatre of Estonia and is a PhD student of the same institution in the field of contemporary improvisation. He has given improvisation master classes in Finland, Italy, Iceland. Jaak is a member of Heino Eller Academy of Tartu.
Jaak has been recently influenced by philosophers such as Gaston Bachelard, Alain Badiou. His main research interests are related to mental imagery, musical communication, chaos, simultaneous processes in human brain.
He has performed with Sergio Castrillon, Harri Kuusijärvi, Fredrik Brandstorp Olsen, Laura Põldvere, Vlady Bystrov, Marta Hrafnsdottir, Inga Lehto, Katri Tikka, Peter Gotterbarm, Theodore Parker, Farištamo Eller, Ville Vokkolainen and many others.
The pianist Aaron Shorr has established an international career as a soloist, chamber musician and educator. As well as appearing regularly as concerto soloist at London’s South Bank, he has toured extensively as a recitalist and chamber musician worldwide. He made appearances at the Venice Biennale, Instrumenta Festival Mexico, the Skopje Days of New Music, and the Istanbul Biennale, among others, which were critically-acclaimed. He has worked as duo partner with Peter Sheppard Skærved for over a decade, and their recordings of Beethoven have won universal critical acclaim. He has given countless premières, including works by Hans Werner Henze, George Rochberg, Sadie Harrison, David Matthews, Paul Moravec, Elliott Schwartz, Jörg Widmann and Kenneth Hesketh, to list only the most recent. .
Aaon Shorr is currently Head of Keyboard at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Artistic Director of the Scottish International Piano Competition.
Max Tabell (1962-) is a versatile music professional. He is a pianist and a keyboardist, and has been active in various ensembles from big bands to pop and rock groups for over 30 years. The most renowned of these are probably the Espoo Big Band, Q.Stone, Remu & His All Stars, and Bitter Sweet.
Max is also experienced in theatre work, both as a conductor and a musician. One of his most interesting and challenging theatre projects was the musical “I Was Looking at the Ceiling…” scored by John Adams, which Max toured with from Helsinki to Edinburgh, Paris, and Hamburg – the score was later recorded in Helsinki, conducted by the composer.
Max Tabell is profoundly experienced in pedagogy. He taught jazz pianism and harmony at the Sibelius Academy Jazz Department from 1989 to 2002, and then started working as a lecturer in jazz pianism at the Department of Music Education. Max has been the head of Department since 2011.
International network is wide: Max has taught in Netherlands, Germany, Nepal, China and Malaysia. His book “Jazzmusiikin harmonia” (Jazz Harmony) was published in 2004 and web site Afroimpro in 2007.
In recent years Max has developed methods to teach improvisation for beginners and classical musicians with little or no previous experience in improvisation by applying methods of learning to improvise traditionally used by jazz and popular music professionals. He has also absorbed methods originally developed for theatre improvisation into his pedagogical approach.
J Simon van der Walt is a Glasgow-based composer and performing artist. Over the course of his career has created a varied and original body of work, ranging from score-based composition to installation, sound art, performance, and devised musiktheater. His chief current preoccupations are Indonesian gamelan music, livecoding, and the reconstructing of the career of his fictional alter ego Edward ‘Teddy’ Edwards, unsung hero of British light music electronica. He is Head of MMus Programmes at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Marie Vassiliou studied Singing and Viola at the Royal College of Music, where she won numerous prizes, including Tagore Gold Medal. She has performed widely in the UK, including all major London concert venues, and at such leading festivals as Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and BBC Proms. She has broadcast on BBC Radio 3, 4 & Radio France and made numerous recordings. Noted for her versatility, her operatic work has taken her across Europe and has included such roles as Anne Trulove, Leila, Micaela, Mimi, Nedda and she has had three operas written for her. She is particularly noted for her work in Baroque & Contemporary rep, having worked with such groups as Early Opera Group, Purcell Quartet, Composer’s Ensemble, Endymion, Ensemble 10/10 and the Philharmonia. She is currently Professor at the vocal faculties of both Guildhall School of Music & Drama and the Royal Academy of Music.
