alex nowitz

Chapter by A.N. in: 'Machinic Assemblages of Desire: Deleuze and Artistic Research 3', ed. by Paulo de Assis & Paulo Giudici/Orpheus Institute (Leuven University Press 2021)

Photo: Thor Egil Leirtrø—Alex Nowitz with strophonion, Trondheim 2024, www.ThorEgilPhoto.com

Score of 'Ich bin das Volk' [I am the people] for large orchestra by A.N. (2021; publ. 2023)

Still image of A.N. performing in Timbisha (Death Valley, California), documented by Sabine Vogel during their residency at the Villa Aurora, Los Angeles (2022)

Score of 'Vom Glühen der Glut' [On the glowing of the embers] for orchestra and smartphones by A.N. (premiered 2022)

The strophonion – a gesture-controlled live electronics by A.N. This model has been manufactured at STEIM in 2014 by Nicolò Merendino [cases] and Sukandar Kartadinata [electronics]. Image by Janina Janke.

UPCOMING

23 Nov. 2024

Die erweiterte Kammer
klarinette-akkordeon plus

Concert performance by 'klarinette-akkorreon plus': Christine Paté (accordion, quartertone accordion) & Matthias Badczong (clarinet, bass clarinet) together with Matthias Bauer (double bass, voice) & Alex Nowitz (voice, strophonion, bass guitar)
at the St. Matthäus-Kirche Berlin

[The extended chamber] a concert performance presenting new works by Sara Abazari (Elis), Matthias Bauer (vacc) and Alex Nowitz (Die Kammer, Was tun wir, Die erweiterte Kammer) funded by the INM Berlin.
https://www.field-notes.berlin/kalender/die-erweiterte-kammer
https://nowitz.de/die-erweiterte-kammer

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30 Nov. 2024

Schick & Nowitz

Duo Ignaz Schick (turntables, electronics) & Alex Nowitz (voice, strophonion)
as part of the Jazzoffensive-Festival 'I sing the body...!' in the fabrik Potsdam
https://www.fabrikpotsdam.de/event/1293

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PAST WORKS & PROJECTS

in 2024

02 Nov. 2024

Die Praxis des Experimentalliedes

for voice, live electronics (strophonion), picc., concert & alto flute, augmented piano & video
with Katrin Plümer (flutes), Alex Nowitz (voice, strophonion) & Antonis Anissegos (piano)
at the Französische Kirche Potsdam

[The practice of the experimental song] a concert performance presenting works by Alex Nowitz ("Venusfalle" [Venus fly trap] for flute solo and piano resonance, "Doubles and Drones from the Desert" for voice, alto/picc. flute & video), by Antonis Anissegos ("imtra" for audiovisuals) and duet compositions by aNo (Anissegos & Nowitz), funded by the Musikfonds e.V. and by the Landesmusikrat Brandenburg with financial means from the Bundesbeauftragten für Kultur & Medien and from the MWFK Brandenburg.
https://nowitz.de/die-praxis-des-experimentalliedes

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5 Oct. 2024
Concert performance with
Tone Åse, Franziska Baumann, Alex Nowitz & Trondheim Voices
at the Dokhuset Trondheim (NO)
https://www.friresonans.no/

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29 Sep. – 2 Oct. 2024
Alex Nowitz: "Die Bestmannoper oder der Versuch,
mit Mitteln eines grotesken Musiktheaters eine historische Lücke zu schließen"
at the Villa la Collina in Cadenabbia, Italy

['The opera on the best man' or the attempt to fill a historical gap by means of a grotesque opera] Alex Nowitz talks about his first opera 'Die Bestmannoper' premiered in 2006 at the Theatre Osnabrueck shedding light on the scandal that NAZI criminal and mass murderer Alois Brunner, best man of Adolf Eichmann, was never brought to court although his hideout was well-known: Damaskus, Rue Haddad 13, under the protection of the Assad regime. The antagonist in the opera was built on French lawyer Serge Klarsfeld.

The lecture is part of the Fellowship Workshop Cadenabbia with the motto “(Kunst) Geschichte wiederholt sich (nicht)” — (Art) History repeats itself (not) — organized by Dr. Hans-Jörg Clement and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.

Die Bestmannoper has been created by Alex Nowitz (music composition) and Ralph Hammerthaler (libretto).
https://vimeo.com/98128085

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Klaus Janek [replacing Matthias Bauer] © Jönköping

22 Sept. 2024 (19:00)
MASUAL: "Freeimprovisedelectroacousticnoisevoice Compositions"
at the Französische Kirche Potsdam

The trio MASUAL is invited to perform at the Französische Kirche [French Church] in Potsdam as part of nu:sub—adventures in sound, a new series for experimental chamber music, sound art & electronic music curated by Udo Koloska.
Klaus Janek (double bass, electronics) from Berlin will play instead of Matthias Bauer.
https://nowitz.de/masual
Other works presented are by Mariana Cavalho (voice, clay, samples) and Sabine Vogel: "Ch'íich" (8-channel tape, ceramic flutes and video). The concert is funded by the Landeshauptstadt Potsdam:
https://artifactpotsdam.de/NuSub1

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15 Sept. 2024 (15:00–18:00)
Alex Nowitz: "Über Luftzüge und andere Zuglüste" (2023), a solo performance &
"The Little book for Toy Piano" (2003) interpreted by Mrika Sefa
in Kleinmachnow

[On draughts and other desires for trains] as part of the 'Klangspaziergang' organized by the ausKlang e.V. in Kleinmachnow (South of Berlin, in between Potsdam and Berlin), 15:00–18:00, historical waggon (Stahnsdorfer Damm 19, next to the Kleinmachnower Schleuse).
Same time: a.o. Mrika Sefa plays pieces from the compilation "The Little Book For Toy Piano" by Alex Nowitz.
https://ausklang.org/cms/pages/de/veranstaltungen/klangspaziergang-um-den-machnower-see.php

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14 Sept. 2024 (16:00)
Duo Klariac performs Alex Nowitz: "Die Kammer" (2023)
in the Marienkirche Strausberg

[The Chamber] Christine Paté (accordion) and Matthias Badczong (clarinet) will present "Die Kammer" as part of Aktuelle Musik in Strausberg curated by Irina Emeliantseva. The duet will also interpret works by Béla Bartók, Irina Emeliantseva, Helmut Zapf, a.o. Start: 16:00.
https://www.strausberg-live.de/termin-detail.php?id=98505

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13 Sept. 2024 (22:00)
Kneer & Nowitz: "Voice & Bass" a duet performance
in the Lichtblickkino Berlin

Meinard Kneer (double bass) and Alex Nowitz (voice, live electronics) will present a duo set as part of the series "Das Ende" curated by Grgur Savic and Richard Scott (Lichtblickkino , Kastanienallee 77, Prenzlauer Berg Berlin).

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7 Sept. 2024 (21:00)
Operadicals with Supplément Musicaux: "Here Be Dragons"
at the Musikfestival Bern

The int. vocal quartet operadicals (NO/CH/DE/SE), Tone Åse (voice, live electronics), Franziska Baumann (voice, sensorglove), Alex Nowitz (voice, strophonion) and Sten Sandell (voice piano) together with the Swiss choir supplément musicaux conducted by Moritz Achermann, presents a new full-evening work at the Musikfest Bern Here Be Dragons for vocal quartet, choir, piano, and live electronics, light and space, directed by Franziska Baumann.
The project includes the premiere of a new piece for four voices, choir, live electronics and piano by Alex Nowitz based on his text composition Was tun wir?.

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29 June 2024 (10:30)
Alex Nowitz: "Unfrei im Raum" for saxophone quartet (2024)
in Eberswalde, close to Berlin

[Unfree in Space] interpreted by the sonic.art saxophone quartet (Berlin) at the Paul-Wunderlich-Haus in Eberswalde, a concert organized by the Brandenburgian Association of New Music (bvnm) and Ralf Hoyer:
https://www.neue-musik-brandenburg.de/Intersonanzen/

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24 June 2024
aNo = Anissegos + Nowitz
in Berlin-Weissensee

aNo is A.N. (voice) & Antonis Anissegos (piano) at Kühlspot Social Club, Berlin-Weissensee
https://kuehlspot.com/

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Bauer & Nowitz: Zum guten Klang des Tons

16 June 2024
Kneer & Nowitz: "Zum guten Klang des Tons" (premiere)
in Mühlenbeck, North of Berlin

[On the good sound of clay] — premiere of music performance for voice, double bass, clay objects and fixed sounds by Alex Nowitz & Matthias Bauer, as part of the annual festival Klanglandschaften 2024, Mühlenbeck, Germany
https://www.klanglandschaften.eu/festival
Due to illness of Matthias Bauer, Meinrad Kneer (db) will play the part for double bass.

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30 May – 9 June 2024
Alex Nowitz: "Klangduschen" für vier Lautsprecher (2008)
in Fluxus+ Potsdam

[sound showers] part of a sound installation by composers of the Brandenburgian Association of New Music (bvnm) as part of the annual festival intersonanzen 2024 at the museum FLUXUS+ Potsdam, Germany:
https://www.neue-musik-brandenburg.de/Intersonanzen/

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1 June 2024 (20:00)
Alex Nowitz: "Unfrei im Raum" for saxophone quartett (premiere)
in Fluxus+ Potsdam

Premiere of his second quartet for saxophone called Unfrei im Raum [Unfree in Space] interpreted by the sonic.art saxophone quartet (Berlin) as part of the annual festival intersonanzen 2024 organized by the Brandenburgian Association of New Music (bvnm) at the museum FLUXUS+ Potsdam, Germany:
https://www.neue-musik-brandenburg.de/Intersonanzen/

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1 June 2024 (16:00)
Alex Nowitz: "Ha-i-ku" für einen Sprecherperformer (2019)
in Fluxus+ Potsdam

Alex Nowitz performs his work Ha-i-ku as part of the annual festival intersonanzen 2024, organized by the Brandenburgian Association of New Music (bvnm), at the museum FLUXUS+ Potsdam, Germany:
https://www.neue-musik-brandenburg.de/Intersonanzen/

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[photo: Susanne Fröhlich]

5 May 2024 (15:00)
all about BIRDS = Vogel + Nowitz + Kneer
in Potsdam

all about BIRDS is a new trio project with Meinrad Kneer (double bass), Alex Nowitz (voice & whistles) & Sabine Vogel (flutes) presenting an outdoor performance for voice, whistles, flutes and double bass at the Paretzer Field Music—Picknickkonzerte mit aktueller Musik in Paretz:
https://sabvog.de/projects/paretzer-field-music/

Further fantastic musicians and artists: Susanne Fröhlich (recorders), Marc Sinan (guitar), Lena Czerniawska (visuals arts). Don’t miss the sublime bird watching walks with the ornothologist Meinrad Kneer!

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3 April 2024 (20:00)
aNo = Anissegos + Nowitz
at Terzo Mondo Berlin-Charlottenburg

aNo is a new duo project by Alex Nowitz & Antonis Anissegos presenting a concert performance for voice, gesture-controlled live electronics (strophonion) & augmented piano, at Terzo Mondo, Charlottenburg Berlin:
https://www.terzomondo.de/event/ano/.

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27 January 2024
Alex Nowitz: "In the Thicket of the Invisible Wires"
in Fluxus+ Potsdam

solo concert performance for voice & live electronics (strophonion) as part of Made in Potsdam – Festival aktueller Kunst @ museum FLUXUS+ Potsdam, Germany

https://fluxus-plus.de/veranstaltung/vorschau-veranstaltungen.html
https://www.fabrikpotsdam.de/event/1109

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RECENT RECORDINGS & PUBLICATIONS

aNo (Antonis Anissegos & Alex Nowitz)
Berlin 2024
https://soundcloud.com/antonis-anissegos/sets/ano

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A radio feature by Lena Czerniawska on music by Alex Nowitz
Radio Kapitał, Warsaw 2023
https://radiokapital.pl/shows/eksperymentalna-audycja-literacka/34-alex-nowitz/

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Ich bin das Volk
[I am the people] for large orchestra,
studio production: Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg (DFOB),
Potsdam 2021, co-produced and
published by Brandenburgischer Verein für Neue Musik (bvnm) 2023

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Sieben Eintragungen: Aus dem Tagebuch eines Lautklangkünstlers
[Seven entries: From the diary of a sound poet]
studio production, Berlin 2022

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Alex Nowitz in conversation with Volker Straebel
(Dean of Music , CalArts )
at the Villa Aurora, Los Angeles 2022,
discussing
Sieben Eintragungen: Aus dem Tagebuch eines Lautklangkünstlers

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Vom Glühen der Glut
[On the glowing of the embers]
recording by rbbKultur of the premiere by the Kammerakademie Potsdam in the Nikolaisaal, Potsdam 2022

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DETAILED INFORMATION

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PAST WORKS & PROJECTS

in 2023

25 November 2023: Alex Nowitz: "In the Thicket of the Invisible Wires"
a solo concert performance for voice, live electronics (strophonion) & video at Hevre (Krakow) as part of Audio Art Festival, Krakow curated by Marek Chołoniewski
https://audio.art.pl/2023/

22 November 2023: Alex Nowitz: "Sounding the Human Potential: The voice in my works"
a 40-min. zoom lecture at The Krzysztof Penderecki Academy of Music in Krakow as part of Audio Art Festival, Krakow curated by Marek Chołoniewski
https://audio.art.pl/2023/

17 November 2023, 19:00: ZwischenZweiZeit & Alex Nowitz: DOMINOEFFEKT
[Domino effect] is a project by the Munich collective Karen Janker & Bettina Theil-Marinkovic (dance) and Georg Janker (double bass) & Sunk Pöschl (drums) inviting A.N. (voice & live electronics) for a joint residency with a public showing at the Schloß Blumenthal, close to Augsburg, Bavaria. The series at Schloß Blumenthal is curated by Sabine Karb.
https://fb.me/e/vj4MRvaKe
https://sabinekarb.de/residenzen-in-blumenthal/residenz-6

11 November 2023: TRAUMTEXT2022
a live performance by Thorsten Müller based on Heiner Müller's TRAUMTEXT (1995) with A.N. (voice), Jürgen Kupke (clarinet), Nicolas Schulze (piano, electronics) and Thorsten Müller (bass clarinet, fixed sounds) at the museum FLUXUS+ as part of the Unidram Festival Potsdam.
https://traumtext2022.de/
https://www.facebook.com/events/676434764166089?ref=newsfeed

https://designing-voices.nowitz.de/en
https://designing-voices.nowitz.de

26 – 28 October 2023: 19:00 (introduction) | 20:00 (concert):
DESIGNING VOICES—International Festival for Vocal Performance Art, Sound & Music: "Vokalaktionen"
The second edition of the festival presents vocal performance artists and musicians with an unparalleled, unique approach to sound the human voice. This year's motto is "Vokalaktionen". Consisting of the composer-performers TONE ÅSE (NO), FRANZISKA BAUMANN (CH), ALEX NOWITZ (DE) & STEN SANDELL (SE), the vocal quartet operadicals opens the festival at the PARETZ Akademie with "Vokalaktionen 1" and closes it at the Französische Kirche POTSDAM with "Vokalaktionen 2". Presenting themselves in solo up to quartet formations, they also create beautifully atmospheric vocal landscapes in the form of choral miniatures that they develop together with singers mainly from two local choirs, the Ketziner Havelklänge & Salto Tonale. This will be supported by live composing practices, such as 'soundpainting', a gesture-based, musical sign language that SABINE VOGEL (DE) applies to introduce contemporary vocal practices to the choral singers. At the heart of the festival is the long night of the peculiar voices Die lange Nacht der kuriosen Stimmen, supported by and taking place at the fabrik POTSDAM, featuring ISABELLE DUTHOIT (FR), KATIA GUEDES (BR/DE), CARL-LUDWIG HÜBSCH (DE), ALEX NOWITZ (DE), CHRISTOPH REISERER (DE) and RICHARD SCOTT (UK/DE) all of whom present themselves as soloists until they enter into a compelling dialogue with one another.
Funded by the Ministry for Science, Research and Culture (MWFK) of the Land Brandenburg and the City of Potsdam (Landeshauptstadt Potsdam), DESIGNING VOICES 2023 partners with the fabrik POTSDAM, the PARETZ Akademie and the Französische Kirche POTSDAM, further with the Netzwerk Neue Musik des Landes Brandenburg, Field-Notes Berlin, Positionen (Texte für aktuelle Musik) and the Rathaus Ketzin.

12 October 2023: Alex Nowitz: "Im Dickicht der unsichtbaren Drähte"
[In the thicket of the invisible wires] a live performance for voice and live electronics (strophonion) at the annual Villa Aurora event at Silent Green, Berlin.

5 October 2023: Imp[or]trait #10—Vokaler Klangtanz: Alex Nowitz und das Strophonion
[Vocal sound dance: Alex Nowitz and the strophonion] imp[or]trait is a series of talks with performative elements conducted by Mathias Maschat at the Exploratorium, Berlin. More infos here in German or English.

14 September 2023, 11:00: Alex Nowitz: "Hierarchical Systems and Multivocal Arts: Reflections on the practices in different territories of the performing arts"
A 20-minute presentation as part of a hybrid international conference from 13-15 September 2023 in Munich and online, called "Theatre Sound (as) Collaboration: Distributed creations, shared agencies", organised by 'Theatermusik heute: Gedanken und Analysen zur aktuellen Praxis der Theatermusik' (David Roesner) at the Ludwig-Maximilian-Universität München (LMU).

14 September 2023, 20:00: Alex Nowitz: "In the Thicket of the Invisible Wires"
A performance for voice and live electronics (strophonion) as part of Digital Care: Evening of the Hands at V2_Lab for Unstable Media in Rotterdam curated by Marije Baalman. This event sheds light on the legacy of Michel Waisvisz' The Hands. Other guests are vocalist Franziska Baumann (CH) with the sensorglove and Andi Otto (DE) presenting a historical introduction to Waisvisz' work. More infos here.

2 September 2023, 16:00: Antonella Bini (Genua) interprets Alex Nowitz: "Venusfalle"
[Venus flytrap {Dionaea muscipula}] for solo flute, as part of the concert series in Strausberg 'Aktuelle Musik in der Marienkriche' curated by Irina Emeliantseva.

16 August 2023: Alex Nowitz receives the 'Arbeitspaket'-Stipendium 2023
[fellowship] awarded under the leadership of Dr. Manja Schüle by the Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kultur [Ministry for Science, Research and Culture] of the Land Brandenburg, Germany. Jury members for music: Florentina Fien, Alexander Hollensteiner and Tom Österreicher.

13 August 2023, 15:00: BAUER & NOWITZ
Duettperformance "Haikus & Herotica" by Matthias Bauer (double bass) & A.N. at Paretzer Field Music, curated by Sabine Vogel, next to the garden shop 'Caromatisch', Paretzhofer-Str. 48, 14669 Paretz. Second set by 'wassermannvogel' duet project of Sabine Vogel (flutes) & Ute Wassermann (voice, bird whistles).

27 July 2023: MASUAL at Kühlspot Social Club, Berlin.

02 July 2023: "Eksperymentalna Audycja Literacka: #34 / Alex Nowitz" by Lena Czerniawska at Radio Kapital featuring four works by A.N., Ich bin das Volk, The Bird That Did Not Return, Labyrinth and ELLAFSUNEV
https://radiokapital.pl/shows/eksperymentalna-audycja-literacka/34-alex-nowitz/

13 June 2023: MASUAL — the trio with Matthias Bauer, Sukandar Kartadinata & A.N.
presents strictly Freeimprovisedelectroacousticnoisevoice Compositions for voice/live electronics, e-guitar/electronics & double bass at Morphine Raum, Berlin. Press release and more information!

18 May 2023, 20:30: Premiere of Alex Nowitz: "Die Kammer"
[The chamber] for clarinet and button accordion, dedicated to Klariac, Christine Paté (accordion) & Matthias Badczong (clarinet), as part of the opening concert of the new music festival intersonanzen at the Potsdam Museum.

26 March 2023, 14:00: Performance "From paradigm to paradigm, into the biomic time" by Nandita Kumar
with Merche Blasco, Christian Kesten, Felicity Mangan, A.N. and Ute Wassermann at the daadgalerie Berlin. Co-developed by the performers. The performance is part of the program MaerzMusik (Berliner Festspiele).

16 February 2023, 20:00: BLONOVO: "Figures Erronées"
Frédéric Blondy (FR) piano, A.N. (DE) voice, gesture-controlled live electronics (strophonion), Sabine Vogel (DE) flute, objects: Exploratorium Berlin

26 January 2023, 19:00: Opening of the sound installation and exhibition "From paradigm to paradigm, into the biomic time" by Nandita Kumar at the daadgalerie Berlin as part of MaerzMusik. Co-developers and part of the sound installation are Merche Blasco, Christian Kesten, Felicity Mangan, A.N. and Ute Wassermann.

22 January 2023, 18:00: Alex Nowitz: "Doubles & Drones from the Desert" (2022) for piccolo/alto flute, voice/live electronics and video (≈30 mins.) and Alex Nowitz: "Venus-Komplex" (≈25 mins.)
consisting of the Venusfalle (2006) for flute solo, Schaumspuren (2015) for voice solo and the electrocacoustic piece Ellafsunev (2014) with Katrin Plümer (flutes) and A.N. (voice, strophonion). Raum für Klang und Architektur, 14612 Falkensee.

January 2023: Alex Nowitz: "Ich bin das Volk" for large orchestra (2021)
as part of the CD "Brandenburg – NEUE MUSIK orchestral" interpreted by Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg [German Film Orchestra Babelsberg] (DFOB) and conducted by Christian Köhler—a co-production by DFOB & Brandenburgischer Verein für Neue Musik [Brandenburgian Association for New Music].

MAJOR WORKS & PROJECTS

from 2022 to 2019

Sprache und Spannung
Aspekte der vielstimmigen Stimme im Kontext musikalischer Improvisation
[Language and tension: Aspects of the multivocal voice in the context of musical improvisation] in:
improfil – Theorie und Praxis improvisierter Musik, Nr. 85, Dec. 2022

Doubles & Drones from the Desert
for voice, piccolo & alto flute, gesture-controlled live electronics (strophonion) & video, premiere Klosterscheune Zehdenick 2022

Designing Voices
international festival for vocal performance art, sound and music, Potsdam & Berlin 2021

The Bird That Did Not Return
premiere Intersonanzen / Kunsthaus Sans Titre, Potsdam 2020

Monsters I Love
documented artistic research project, Stockholm 2019

ALL WORKS & PROJECTS

from 2022 to 2019

A.N., Designing Voices Berlin, 6 Nov. 2021 — Photo: Sebastian Rausch

__________________________

ENQUIRIES

(scores, booking, etc.)

Thank you!

__________________________

Chapter by A.N. in: 'Machinic Assemblages of Desire: Deleuze and Artistic Research 3', ed. by Paulo de Assis & Paulo Giudici/Orpheus Institute (Leuven University Press 2021)

Photo: Thor Egil Leirtrø—Alex Nowitz with strophonion, Trondheim 2024, www.ThorEgilPhoto.com

Score of 'Ich bin das Volk' [I am the people] for large orchestra by A.N. (2021; publ. 2023)

Still image of A.N. performing in Timbisha (Death Valley, California), documented by Sabine Vogel during their residency at the Villa Aurora, Los Angeles (2022)

Score of 'Vom Glühen der Glut' [On the glowing of the embers] for orchestra and smartphones by A.N. (premiered 2022)

The strophonion – a gesture-controlled live electronics by A.N. This model has been manufactured at STEIM in 2014 by Nicolò Merendino [cases] and Sukandar Kartadinata [electronics]. Image by Janina Janke.

Klaus Janek [replacing Matthias Bauer] © Jönköping

Bauer & Nowitz: Zum guten Klang des Tons

A.N., Designing Voices Berlin, 6 Nov. 2021 — Photo: Sebastian Rausch

Still image of A.N. performing 'Panache' for voice solo, from a video recording by Oscar Loeser