The "WahnWitz" finds its way into the federal city
28 local organizers are joining forces for the 4th Bern Music Festival in September. The festival also includes the STV Tonkünstlerfest, contemporary sounds for an annual marching organ and sound artist Lara Stanic as artist in residence.
The festival will be opened by the Bern Symphony Orchestra with Beethoven's "Missa Solemnis" and works by Vincent de Roguin (world premiere), Daniel Glaus (world premiere) and Roland Moser.
Initiated by the Basellandschaftliche Neue-Musik-Festival Rümlingen, a traditional annual marching organ docks at several Swiss festivals. The Egyptian composer Wael Sami Elkholy has written a composition for the Bern Music Festival.
As part of a cooperation with the Waldau Psychiatric Clinic, there will be special concerts in the clinic's chapel as well as a music therapy workshop, and Eric Satie's famous piano piece "Vexations" will be played in the festival center ten times for two hours, alternating continuously throughout the opening hours.
As Artist in Residence, music performer Lara Stanic is developing five ten-minute and one one-hour music performance on the theme of lunacy - as a bracket around the festival's programs and venues.
Other events include a spoken opera by Elfriede Jelinek ("Kein Licht"), the founding of a competence center for music education, a folk music jam session, a musicological conference on "Wahn und Widersinn" and a performance by the Sinfonie Orchester Biel Solothurn with actor Anatole Taubman.
As part of a cooperation with the Swiss Musicians' Association (STV), the Swiss Musicians' Festival will also take place on the first weekend of the festival. Numerous Swiss composers and performers will present new works, improvisation programs and sound installations.
More info: www.musikfestivalbern.ch
