WORKS & PROJECTS
in 2025
Screnn shot of the video documentation, © bvnm
05 Decemver 2025, youtube publication
Alex Nowitz: Unruhe ist (1999)
[disquiet is] for string quartet
Alex Nowitz: Unruhe ist (1999)
[disquiet is] for string quartet
Publication of a documentation of a performance of five parts from the string quartet "Unruhe ist" from 16th of May 2025 by the Kairos Quartet on youtube, featuring Rui C. Antunes (vln 1), Fiona Milla Jäntti (vln 2), Simone Heilgendorff (vla) and Claudius von Wrochem (vlc):
II: Feld der Grillen
III: „Unruhe ist…“ (Teil 1)
IV: Lontano, come in sogno
V: Fugato barbaro
VIII: Volutatio Continuo
The "Unruhe ist“ is an anti-war piece composed in 1999 and was revisited by the composer for its printed version in 2025. Inspired by the poem "Unruhe ist in den Gräsern" [Disquietness is in the grasses] by Austrian writer Thomas Bernhard, the string quartet grapples with the war taking place 25 years ago in Kosovo, former Yugoslavia, Europe. The performance was part of the annual festival for new music "intersonanzen" at the Museum Barberini Potsdam.
Organisation: bvnm – Brandenburgischer Verein Neue Musik; visuals: Sebastian Rausch; sound: Dietrich Petzold; editing: Henry Mex.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juOY5sVaQLw
II: Feld der Grillen
III: „Unruhe ist…“ (Teil 1)
IV: Lontano, come in sogno
V: Fugato barbaro
VIII: Volutatio Continuo
The "Unruhe ist“ is an anti-war piece composed in 1999 and was revisited by the composer for its printed version in 2025. Inspired by the poem "Unruhe ist in den Gräsern" [Disquietness is in the grasses] by Austrian writer Thomas Bernhard, the string quartet grapples with the war taking place 25 years ago in Kosovo, former Yugoslavia, Europe. The performance was part of the annual festival for new music "intersonanzen" at the Museum Barberini Potsdam.
Organisation: bvnm – Brandenburgischer Verein Neue Musik; visuals: Sebastian Rausch; sound: Dietrich Petzold; editing: Henry Mex.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juOY5sVaQLw
•••••
Logo of DESIGNING VOICES 2025 © Alex Nowitz
09–12 October 2025, Museum Fluxus+, Fabrik & Französische Kirche Potsdam
DESIGNING VOICES
International Festival for Vocal Performance Art, Sound & Music
DESIGNING VOICES
International Festival for Vocal Performance Art, Sound & Music
KLANGSINNE
[senses for sound]
[senses for sound]
For the third time Alex Nowitz runs and curates the biennal DESIGNING VOICES, a 4-day festival presenting 21 artists from home and abroad in 8 performances, one information event with talks and videos, and a 3-day workshop (directed by overtone singing expert Mark van Tongeren, NL/TW). The festival explores the potential of the human voice extended by the application of live technologies and/or in dialogue with object and musical instruments. This year's motto "Klangsinne" sheds light on the usage of the notion of sense as it is practiced in German language addressing either the sense for sounds or the meaning of sounds.
The 4-day festival is supported by the Musikfonds e.V. and the Ministry for Science, Research & Culture of the Land Brandenburg.
https://linktr.ee/designingvoices
The 4-day festival is supported by the Musikfonds e.V. and the Ministry for Science, Research & Culture of the Land Brandenburg.
https://linktr.ee/designingvoices
Cover DESIGNING VOICES 2025 Flyer
Info DESIGNING VOICES 2025 Flyer
Program, day 1&2, DESIGNING VOICES 2025 Flyer
Program day 3, DESIGNING VOICES 2025 Flyer
Program, day 3&4, DESIGNING VOICES 2025 Flyer
•••••
Alex Nowitz & Fiona Milla Jäntti © Oliver Pagels
31 August 2025, Südwestkirchhof Stahnsdorf
Klangspaziergang
Musik an vier historischen Brunnen [Sound Walk – Music at four historical wells]
Repeated duet performance "Die Vogelkreis-Performance" by Fiona Milla Jäntti (vln) & Alex Nowitz (vce) presenting works by Bernd Alois Zimmermann, Alex Nowitz, Johannes Brahms and Jean Sibelius at the historical well 'Hexagon' in the Südwestkirchhof Stahnsdorf [South-West graveyard Stahnsdorf], organized and curated by Simone Heilgendorff and the Ausklang e.V.
Other duet performances are by Olaf Tzschoppe (perc) & Simone Heilgendorff (vla), Mrika Sefa (toy pno) & Rui C. Antunes (vln), Wu Wei (sheng) & Claudius von Wrochem (vlc) and by the Kairos Quartett Berlin.
Performance duration: 15:00–18:00
https://ausklang.org/cms/pages/de/veranstaltungen/klangspaziergang-der-brunnen.php
https://www.suedwestkirchhof.de/eventkalender-detailansicht/wandelkonzert-mit-musik-an-historischen-brunnen.html
Klangspaziergang
Musik an vier historischen Brunnen [Sound Walk – Music at four historical wells]
Repeated duet performance "Die Vogelkreis-Performance" by Fiona Milla Jäntti (vln) & Alex Nowitz (vce) presenting works by Bernd Alois Zimmermann, Alex Nowitz, Johannes Brahms and Jean Sibelius at the historical well 'Hexagon' in the Südwestkirchhof Stahnsdorf [South-West graveyard Stahnsdorf], organized and curated by Simone Heilgendorff and the Ausklang e.V.
Other duet performances are by Olaf Tzschoppe (perc) & Simone Heilgendorff (vla), Mrika Sefa (toy pno) & Rui C. Antunes (vln), Wu Wei (sheng) & Claudius von Wrochem (vlc) and by the Kairos Quartett Berlin.
Performance duration: 15:00–18:00
https://ausklang.org/cms/pages/de/veranstaltungen/klangspaziergang-der-brunnen.php
https://www.suedwestkirchhof.de/eventkalender-detailansicht/wandelkonzert-mit-musik-an-historischen-brunnen.html
•••••
Matthias Bauer © Peter Gannushkin • Matthias Badczong/Christine Paté © T. Tarczynski • Alex Nowitz © Oscar Loeser
10 July 2025 (19:00), Randfestspiele, 2. Musikbiennale Zepernick
Ensemble KLANGPAKT: Die erweiterte Kammer
(2024)
Consisting of Matthias Badczong (clar), Matthias Bauer (db), Alex Nowitz (vce, electr), Christine Paté (acc), the quartet presents the concert performance "Die erweiterte Kammer" for voice/s and live electronics (strophonion), clarinet, accordion, and double bass performing works by Sara Abazari, Matthias Bauer, Alex Nowitz and collective compositions by the ensemble, all of which were premiered at the St. Matthäus-Kirche Berlin in November 2024. The Randspiele Zepernick are curated by composer Helmut Zapf.
https://randspiele.de
https://nowitz.de/die-erweiterte-kammer
(2024)
Consisting of Matthias Badczong (clar), Matthias Bauer (db), Alex Nowitz (vce, electr), Christine Paté (acc), the quartet presents the concert performance "Die erweiterte Kammer" for voice/s and live electronics (strophonion), clarinet, accordion, and double bass performing works by Sara Abazari, Matthias Bauer, Alex Nowitz and collective compositions by the ensemble, all of which were premiered at the St. Matthäus-Kirche Berlin in November 2024. The Randspiele Zepernick are curated by composer Helmut Zapf.
https://randspiele.de
https://nowitz.de/die-erweiterte-kammer
•••••
Playing the strings with bent up paper clip
AlexNowitz_Unruhe_ist_string_quartet_mouvement_II_page9
AlexNowitz_Unruhe_ist_string_quartet_mouvement_V_page31
Excerpts from the revisted print version of "Unruhe ist"
16 May 2025, Museum Barberini Potsdam
Alex Nowitz: Unruhe ist
(1999/2025)
for string quartet
(≈24 mins.)
The Kairos Quartet (Berlin) with Rui C. Antunes (vln 1), Fiona Milla Jäntti (vln 2), Simone Heilgendorff (vla), Claudius von Wrochem (vlc) performs the string quartet "Unruhe ist“ [disquiet is]—an anti-war piece composed in 1999 and revisited for its printed version in 2025. The performance is part of the annual festival for new music intersonanzen at the Museum Barberini Potsdam. Other works presented are by L. Kisters, M. Nishikaze and C. Bauckholdt. Start: 20:30.
Inspired by the poem "Unruhe ist in den Gräsern" [Disquiet is in the grasses] by Austrian writer Thomas Bernhard, the string quartet grapples with the war taking place 25 years ago in Kosovo, former Yugoslavia, Europe. The premiere then was realized by the Persius Ensemble conducted by Peter Rainer (vln.1) together with Julia Rattei (vln.2), Ralph Günthner (Vla.) and Jan-Peter Kuschel (vlc.) at the Altes Rathaus Potsdam as part of the very first edition of the intersonanzen 2000. intersonanzen 2025 celebrates its 25th anniversary:
https://www.neue-musik-brandenburg.de/intersonanzen/
https://www.museum-barberini.de/de/kalender/20284/intersonanzen-16-05-2025-el-perro-andaluz-kairos-quartett
https://www.kairosquartett.de/
Alex Nowitz: Unruhe ist
(1999/2025)
for string quartet
(≈24 mins.)
The Kairos Quartet (Berlin) with Rui C. Antunes (vln 1), Fiona Milla Jäntti (vln 2), Simone Heilgendorff (vla), Claudius von Wrochem (vlc) performs the string quartet "Unruhe ist“ [disquiet is]—an anti-war piece composed in 1999 and revisited for its printed version in 2025. The performance is part of the annual festival for new music intersonanzen at the Museum Barberini Potsdam. Other works presented are by L. Kisters, M. Nishikaze and C. Bauckholdt. Start: 20:30.
Inspired by the poem "Unruhe ist in den Gräsern" [Disquiet is in the grasses] by Austrian writer Thomas Bernhard, the string quartet grapples with the war taking place 25 years ago in Kosovo, former Yugoslavia, Europe. The premiere then was realized by the Persius Ensemble conducted by Peter Rainer (vln.1) together with Julia Rattei (vln.2), Ralph Günthner (Vla.) and Jan-Peter Kuschel (vlc.) at the Altes Rathaus Potsdam as part of the very first edition of the intersonanzen 2000. intersonanzen 2025 celebrates its 25th anniversary:
https://www.neue-musik-brandenburg.de/intersonanzen/
https://www.museum-barberini.de/de/kalender/20284/intersonanzen-16-05-2025-el-perro-andaluz-kairos-quartett
https://www.kairosquartett.de/
•••••
Alex Nowitz whistling in the Australian bush © Sabine Vogel
8-18 May 2025, Gallery MINSK Potsdam
Alex Nowitz: Searching the Magpie
(2015)
for video
(≈4 mins.)
"Searching the Magpie" is a video work addressing human whistling as a means to communicate with potential birds at the chosen location. The scene has been documented by Sabine Vogel in the Australian bush at Bend of Island close to Melbourne. The video work is part of the opening of the annual festival for new music intersonanzen at the MINSK gallery, Potsdam and will be presented throughout the whole festival. Start: 19:00.
https://vimeo.com/267405030
Alex Nowitz: Searching the Magpie
(2015)
for video
(≈4 mins.)
"Searching the Magpie" is a video work addressing human whistling as a means to communicate with potential birds at the chosen location. The scene has been documented by Sabine Vogel in the Australian bush at Bend of Island close to Melbourne. The video work is part of the opening of the annual festival for new music intersonanzen at the MINSK gallery, Potsdam and will be presented throughout the whole festival. Start: 19:00.
https://vimeo.com/267405030
•••••
Mathis Mayr, Alex Nowitz & Sophie Notte
Rike Bechem
Mathis Mayr, Sophie Notte & Jürgen Laartz
Ursula Münstermann
4 May 2025, Paretz
Alex Nowitz: bbrrmm
Eine Klangutopie auf dem Land
(2025)
für zwei Celli und drei Naturbeherrschungsinstrumente
(≈42 mins.)
[bbrrmm: A sounding utopia in the countryside, for two cellos and three nature dominating instruments]
PREMIERE of a new work commissioned by Paretzer Field Music curated by Sabine Vogel
with Mathis Mayr (vlc., Ensemble Mosaik Berlin) & Sophie Notte (vlc., Ens. Kaleidoskop Berlin), Rike Bechem (chainsaw), Ursula Münstermann (lawnmower) and Jürgen Laartz (scythe).
https://sabvog.de/projects/paretzer-field-music/
More information here:
https://nowitz.de/bbrrmm
Alex Nowitz: bbrrmm
Eine Klangutopie auf dem Land
(2025)
für zwei Celli und drei Naturbeherrschungsinstrumente
(≈42 mins.)
[bbrrmm: A sounding utopia in the countryside, for two cellos and three nature dominating instruments]
PREMIERE of a new work commissioned by Paretzer Field Music curated by Sabine Vogel
with Mathis Mayr (vlc., Ensemble Mosaik Berlin) & Sophie Notte (vlc., Ens. Kaleidoskop Berlin), Rike Bechem (chainsaw), Ursula Münstermann (lawnmower) and Jürgen Laartz (scythe).
https://sabvog.de/projects/paretzer-field-music/
More information here:
https://nowitz.de/bbrrmm
•••••
17 March 2025, Spehl Workshop Berlin
sOnic alchemy meets Alex Nowitz
sOnic alchemy is Sofia Borges (perc.) and Klaus Janek (db, electronics) meeting Alex Nowitz (vce, strophonion) to present improvsied music in solo, duo and trio constellations at the wood workshop of the interior & furniture designer Rainer Spehl, Brunnenstrasse 152, 2. Hinterhof, 10115 Berlin, Germany. Start: 20:00.
sOnic alchemy meets Alex Nowitz
sOnic alchemy is Sofia Borges (perc.) and Klaus Janek (db, electronics) meeting Alex Nowitz (vce, strophonion) to present improvsied music in solo, duo and trio constellations at the wood workshop of the interior & furniture designer Rainer Spehl, Brunnenstrasse 152, 2. Hinterhof, 10115 Berlin, Germany. Start: 20:00.
•••••
13 Jan. 2025, Kuehlspot Berlin
Nowitz/Anders/Drnek/Gratkowski
Quartet with Isabel Anders (pno), Vojta Drnek (acc), Frank Gratkowski (cl/bcl) & Alex Nowitz (vce) at Kühlspot Social Club, Berlin. Due to illness Frank Gratkowski replaces Meinrad Kneer (db).
Nowitz/Anders/Drnek/Gratkowski
Quartet with Isabel Anders (pno), Vojta Drnek (acc), Frank Gratkowski (cl/bcl) & Alex Nowitz (vce) at Kühlspot Social Club, Berlin. Due to illness Frank Gratkowski replaces Meinrad Kneer (db).
•••••
Video still of Katrin Plümer and Alex Nowitz © Sirko Knüper
12 Jan. 2025, youtube publication
Alex Nowitz: Doubles and Drones from the Desert
for voice, live electronics (strophonion), piccolo, alto flute and video (2022)
Publication of the video documentation of a live performance (≈33 mins.) with Katrin Plümer and Alex Nowitz which took place on Nov. 2nd, 2024 at the French Church Potsdam recorded by Sirko Knüpfer (video) and Sabine Vogel (audio):
https://vimeo.com/1046125557.
The performance has been part of the concert performance "Die Praxis des Experimentalliedes" [The practice of the experimental song]:
https://nowitz.de/die-praxis-des-experimentalliedes.
Alex Nowitz: Doubles and Drones from the Desert
for voice, live electronics (strophonion), piccolo, alto flute and video (2022)
Publication of the video documentation of a live performance (≈33 mins.) with Katrin Plümer and Alex Nowitz which took place on Nov. 2nd, 2024 at the French Church Potsdam recorded by Sirko Knüpfer (video) and Sabine Vogel (audio):
https://vimeo.com/1046125557.
The performance has been part of the concert performance "Die Praxis des Experimentalliedes" [The practice of the experimental song]:
https://nowitz.de/die-praxis-des-experimentalliedes.
•••••
ALL WORKS & PROJECTS
from 2024 to 2019
•••••
© Alex Nowitz, 2026