Festival Neue Musik–Der Sommer in Stuttgart

Maria Kalesnikava speaks about the inner freedom she managed to preserve during her imprisonment. The concert solidARTy follows with a powerful plea for freedom, and we can also glimpse the idea of a future free Iranian society in the images from Amen Feizabadi’s chamber opera *Deep Siesta*. »Free« is the improvisation from which the Trio Pony Says develops new formats in its »Pop-up« series. And last but not least, »The Queer Art of Failure«–featuring Ensemble Aventure and many others–embodies a liberation from normative ideals.

The short festival, which once again brings together the energies of Stuttgart’s new music scene, concludes with a highly poetic three-part afternoon programme, during which the Neue Vocalsolisten, Ensemble Ascolta and violinist Sara Cubarsi present solo and chamber works.

Festival brochure

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Tickets for performances at the Theaterhaus

Theaterhaus Stuttgart

Telephone +49 (0) 711 40 20 720

Email tickets@theaterhaus.com

Reservix: theaterhaus.reservix.de/events

Tickets for the event at the Kunstgebäude

On site–included in the ticket for the exhibition ‘Das Kalte Herz’

www.kunstmuseum-stuttgart.de

NEW to the festival
26 July 2026, 8.30–9.30 pm
Württembergischer Kunstverein

Alan Hilario: Kara_wOke-pieces

Performers: Alan Hilario, Mark Lorenz Kysela, Andrew Digby, Pascal Pons
(as part of the exhibition ‘siren eun young jung resistant theatre’)

Friday 24 July, 6.00 pm, Theaterhaus T3
#FREEMARIA
A performative reflection by Maria Kalesnikava

Maria Kalesnikava, performance

Idea/concept: Jochen Sandig
Set design: Sung-Uk Brad Hwang

Sound intervention: Diego Noguera

Lighting design: Jörg Bittner, Lou Oelrich

A production by Sasha Waltz & Guests.

Made at Radialsystem, Berlin

Friday 24 July, 8.00 pm, Theaterhaus T3
solidARTy

Works by

Katsia Kaya, Kaija Saariaho, Michael Jarrell, Erik H. Halvorsen/Gregory Kharaneka

Katsia Kaya (Belarus/Germany), voice, electronics, objects; Jana Ščarbakowa (Belarus/Czech Republic), flute
Anna Fiveiska (Ukraine/Germany), marimba

Gregory Kharaneka (Belarus/Norway), saxophone, composition

The concert, curated by Maria Kalesnikava, takes place as part of solidARTy, an international platform for solidarity with artists affected by repression, exile and professional bans.

Sat 25 July, 6.00 pm, Theaterhaus T3
ARTIST TALK

A conversation with Amen Feizabadi about the background to his chamber audio opera DEEP SIESTA.

Admission free!

Sat 25 July, 7.00 pm, Theaterhaus T3
DEEP SIESTA
A chamber audio opera in three acts with a prologue (2024–26)

Concept, composition, direction, video production: Amen Feizabadi

Libretto: Dilek Mayatürk

Dramaturgy: Konstantin Parnian

Video production and photography: Maryam Takhtkeshian

Camera: Hamed Otadi, Ghazal Bakhtazad
Sound: Soheil Mirzadeh
Boys’ choir of the Veda Music Institute in Tehran (video)

Neue Vocalsolisten

Zafraan Ensemble
Conducted by Estreilla Besson

Two artificial beings–Ök and Mani–are born out of digital chaos. Curious and full of wonder, they discover the world of humans: its beauty, its ‘EmoSones’, its contradictions …

Sat 25 July 21:00, Theaterhaus/MDJ P1
POP-UP

Pony Says
Felix Nagl, keyboard/Lucas Gérin, electronic drums/Thilo Ruck, electric guitar

Marie Delprat, live electronics, recorder, voice

In its ‘Pop-up’ series, Pony Says collaborates with international guest artists from the improvisation and experimental music scenes to develop concise musical formats and free improvisations. The concerts usually take place in Stuttgart’s off-spaces and are announced at short notice.

At ‘Sommer in Stuttgart’, Pony Says will be joined by the Franco-Swiss musician and performer Marie Delprat. In her artistic practice, she moves between digital and analogue worlds, often combining electronic music with influences from early music. On this evening, her sonic approach will be juxtaposed with Pony Says’ ‘traditional’ instrumentation–electric guitar, electronic drums and keyboards. The result is an open-ended format blending improvisation, electronics and contemporary music, in which anything can happen.

Sun 26 July 12:00, Kunstgebäude Stuttgart
THE QUEER ART OF FAILURE

Works by

Malin Bång, Natacha Diels, Laure M. Hiendl (world premiere), Eloain Lovis Hübner (world premiere)

Ensemble Aventure
Second-year Year of the Directing, Acting and Dramaturgy and Motion Design FABW programmes at the Academy of Performing Arts Baden-Württemberg

As part of the exhibition »Das kalte Herz« at the Kunstmuseum Stuttgart.

A collaboration between the Academy of Performing Arts Baden-Württemberg, the Kunstmuseum Stuttgart, Ensemble Aventure Freiburg and Musik der Jahrhunderte, in cooperation with the Animation Institute of the Film Academy BW.

Sun 26 July 16:00–19:00 Theaterhaus, T3 and P1

CHAMBER PLAYS

16:00, T3
THERE WOULD BE TENDERNESS

Works by

Dariya Maminova, Bnaya Halperin-Kaddari, Sven-Ingo Koch ^WP

Sara Cubarsi, violin

Neue Vocalsolisten

17:15, P1
REFLECTIONS OF ETERNITY

Works by

Rolf Riehm, Michael Pelzel, Elena Rykova

Ensemble Ascolta
Erik Borgir, cello/Julian Belli, percussion

18:15, T3
OF LAMENT AND GRATITUDE

Works by

Anton Schukaŭ ^WP, Liza Lim, Gregory Kharaneka ^WP, Vahid Hosseini ^WP

Neue Vocalsolisten
Sara Cubarsi, violin

Alan Hilario: Kara_wOke-pieces

for four musicians and 8-channel recorded track (2025)

1. Music in which aesthetics take precedence over political stance

2. L’art pour l’art by an underprivileged person

3. Pro-‘pagandá’ (Tagalog: ‘to beautify’)

4. Deliberately apolitical, à la cis-white man

5. Subtle, but not ‘harmless’, political music

6. Satirical political music that aims to change the world

7. Political music that evokes emotions such as guilt

8. Brilliant, catchy protest music like that of Letzte Generation

9. Anti-anti-woke music

10. Music against hypocritical facades

11. Decolonial political music for the classroom

12. Political music against genocide

Duration: 12 x 4’33’’ min.

Mark Lorenz Kysela, ad hoc instruments/electronics/voice/saxophones

Andrew Digby, trombone/euphonium

Pascal Pons, drums

Alan Hilario, composition/8-channel recorded track/2 videos/bass-contrabass clarinet/soprano saxophone