Still image of A.N. performing 'Panache' for voice solo, from a video recording by Oscar Loeser
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)
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)
![Score of 'Vom Glühen der Glut' [On the glowing of the embers] for orchestra and smartphones by A.N. (premiered 2022)](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0d0ef216-635d-45e2-b581-8e43fc9ce571/03f92047-2bb5-4386-a025-4d8ff114d78c_rw_1200.png?h=32a2dad0d42f9d69e6310797a291755f)
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.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0d0ef216-635d-45e2-b581-8e43fc9ce571/6a11eab7-3d5d-466e-aff7-a9279c9e5c77_rw_3840.JPG?h=51a88b5184b2ff2fd3bb49547759199f)
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.
Still image of A.N. performing 'Untitled' for voice and gesture-controlled live electronics (strophonion), DOCK 11, Berlin 2016
![Score of 'Ich bin das Volk' [I am the people] for large orchestra by A.N. (2021; publ. 2023)](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0d0ef216-635d-45e2-b581-8e43fc9ce571/dab225a1-11f9-46e4-b073-f0b65a2c007b_rw_1920.png?h=1fe07d0a4f9afae6964ff6bc5caeae15)
Score of 'Ich bin das Volk' [I am the people] for large orchestra by A.N. (2021; publ. 2023)
UPCOMING
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!
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18 June 2023: Haikus & Herotika – Sieben Gedichte aus dem Zusammenhang gerissen – solo performance for spoken, singing and whistling voice celebrating the 80th birthday of visual artist, sculptor, writer and poet Anton Kirchmair, Marchhäuser, Bavarian Forest.
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27 July 2023: MASUAL at Kühlspot Social Club, Berlin.
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13 August 2023, 15:00: Bauer & Nowitz – duo of Matthias Bauer (double bass) and A.N. at Paretzer Field Music (next to the garden shop 'Caromatisch', Paretzhofer-Str. 48, 14669 Paretz. Second set the fascinating duo 'wassermannvogel' with Sabine Vogel (flutes) and Ute Wassermann (voice, bird whistles).
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RECENT RECORDINGS & PUBLICATIONS
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ABOUT
Alex Nowitz is a composer and vocal performance artist from Germany. He also appears as improviser, sound artist and musician. Furthermore he works as artist-researcher, author and curator.
His compositions comprise vocal and instrumental chamber music, full-length operas, orchestral pieces, electro-acoustic music, multimedia formats, music for dance and spoken theatre. In 2021, the Deutsche Filmorchester Babelsberg recorded the study for large orchestra Ich bin das Volk [I am the people] conducted by Christian Köhler. In April 2022, conducted by Antonello Manacorda, the Kammerakademie Potsdam commissioned and premiered his work for orchestra and smartphones Vom Glühen der Glut [On the glowing of the embers].
As vocal performance artist starting in 1989, A.N. shares the stage with a great number of musicians, sometimes with vocalists and occasionally also with dancers and actors. The most recent projects involve BLONOVO with Sabine Vogel (fl) & Frédéric Blondy (pno), SAM with Sten Sandell (pno/voc) and MASUAL with Sukandar Kartadinata (egtr/elec) & Matthias Bauer (db).
Composer-performer A.N. presents extended vocal performance art often applying custom, wireless and gesture-controlled live electronics, most notably the strophonion. Both in his vocal performance art and in his compositions dedicated to others, he explores the notion of multivocality. In 2019 he releases the dissertation 'Monsters I Love: On multivocal arts,' a documented artistic research project featuring a number of essays together with audio and video material of either studio productions or live performances. Based on this work, he holds the doctoral degree in 'Performative and Mediated Practices with Specialisation in Opera' awarded by the Stockholm University of the Arts.
Beyond his artistic work, since 2008, A.N. publishes essays and articles written in both German and English. The most recent one titled 'Sprache und Spannung: Aspekte der vielstimmigen Stimme im Kontext musikalischer Improvisation' appears in the journal Improfil (Berlin 2022, No. 85).
Exploring the philosophical potential of extended vocal performance art practices he also composed the chapter with the title 'Assemblages of Multivocal and Schizophonic Practices: Unleashing the machined voice' published in Machinic Assemblages of Desire. Deleuze and Artistic Research 3 (Orpheus Institute Ghent), edited by Paolo de Assis & Paolo Giudici (Leuven University Press, 2021).
In 2022 A.N. was fellow at the Villa Aurora, Los Angeles. Currently, in 2023, he receives the fellowship Musikfonds Stipendium III (Berlin) as part of 'Neustart Kultur' provided by the Federal Minister of Germany for Culture and Media, Claudia Roth.
Initiated in 2021 in Potsdam and Berlin, A.N. curates the second edition of the international festival for vocal performance art, sound and music DESIGNING VOICES in October 2023. More information is coming soon!
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DETAILED INFORMATION
PAST WORKS & PROJECTS
in 2023
18 May 2023, 20:30: Premiere of 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
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. 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: Doubles & Drones from the Desert (2022) for piccolo/alto flute, voice/live electronics and video (≈30 mins.) and the 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: 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].
22 January 2023, 18:00: Doubles & Drones from the Desert (2022) for piccolo/alto flute, voice/live electronics and video (≈30 mins.) and the 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: 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
in 2022
Doubles & Drones from the Desert
for voice, piccolo & alto flute, gesture-controlled live electronics (strophonion) & video, premiere Klosterscheune Zehdenick 2022
In the thicket of the invisible wires
vocal performance with double bass & gesture-controlled live electronics (strophonion), premiere Französische Kirche Potsdam 2022
More infos here...
vocal performance with double bass & gesture-controlled live electronics (strophonion), premiere Französische Kirche Potsdam 2022
More infos here...
MAJOR WORKS & PROJECTS
from 2021 to 2019
Designing Voices
international festival for vocal performance art, sound and music, Potsdam & Berlin 2021
international festival for vocal performance art, sound and music, Potsdam & Berlin 2021
Monsters I Love
documented artistic research project, Stockholm 2019
documented artistic research project, Stockholm 2019
ALL WORKS & PROJECTS
from 2022 to 2019
A.N., Designing Voices Berlin, 6 Nov. 2021 — Photo: Sebastian Rausch
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ENQUIRIES
(scores, booking, etc.)
Thank you!
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