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Season 1: Machine Counterpoint

We are thrilled to announce Tonhain Kollektiv’s Season 1: Machine Counterpoint, our first full season of nine concerts that will take place at Tonhain between September 2024 and June 2025. In these concerts we will explore the impact that machines and technology have had on music over the course of the past several centuries. Our story begins with the influence of mechanical clocks and metronomes on music during the 18th century, continues through the reaction against strict musical time-keeping during the Romantic era, and explores the development of more complex polyrhythms and mechanical sounds in music after the industrial revolution. We then explore the radical transformation that occurred in composition and performance through the development of recorded sound, tape music, and electronic music. Our April concert will be a fascinating detour into aleatoric music, investigating the many ways music can break free of time-sensitive notation, while in May we will feature composers who have encoded their music with symbols and messages. Our season finale is a culmination of this journey from the past to present day, as we will focus on AI and the central question of whether it represents an existential threat to creativity or a useful tool for composers and performers alike.

All concerts take place at Tonhain. Click below or scroll down for more details and to book tickets!

With the kind support of the Aventis Foundation

aventis foundation

Concert I

Tick Tock

Prompt: "A mountain full of abandoned broken mechanical metronomes"

Prompt: "A mountain full of abandoned broken mechanical metronomes"

Sold out

Friday, September 20, 2024 · 7:00 PM
George Frideric Handel: Air with Variations from Suite E major HWV 430 (The Harmonious Blacksmith) ~3'
François Couperin: Le Tic-Toc-Choc from "Pièces de clavecin" ~2'
Joseph Haydn: Piano Trio No. 44 in E Major ~14'
Thomas Adès: The Four Quarters ~20'
Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet No. 8 in E minor, Op. 59, No. 2 ~40'
Hana Changviolin
Luke Hsuviolin
Natalie Loughranviola
Rainer Crosettcello
Leonard Disselhorstcello
Danae Dörkenpiano
With special thanks to our local partners:
Jacques Wein Depot in Berlin-Friedenau
Jacques Wein Depot in Berlin-Friedenau
Depotinhaber Danijel Batez Bundesallee 115 12161 Berlin
Tanja Hidde - Geigenbau
Wilhelm-Hauff-Straße 14 12159 Berlin Tel. 030 85994060

Concert II

Playing with Time

Prompt: "A clock melting away on a violin, in the style of Dali"

Prompt: "A clock melting away on a violin, in the style of Dali"

Sunday, November 3, 2024 · 5:00 PM
Louis Couperin: Prélude à l'imitation de Mr. Froberger arr. Leonard Disselhorst ~6'
György Kurtág: Officium breve in memoriam Andreae Szervánszky Op. 28 ~15'
Richard Strauss: Capriccio for Sextet ~10'
Johannes Brahms: String Sextet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 36 ~42'
Luke Hsuviolin
Suyoen Kimviolin
Brian Isaacsviola
Emma Wernigviola
Yehjin Chuncello
Leonard Disselhorstcello
Benjamin Laicello
With special thanks to our local partners:

Concert III

Rhythmicon

Prompt: "A machine with 7 hands and 7 heads playing the piano"

Prompt: "A machine with 7 hands and 7 heads playing the piano"

Saturday, November 30, 2024 · 7:00 PM
Henry Cowell: Rhythmicana ~7'
Tigran Hamasyan: Markos and Markos ~6'
Charles Ives: Piano Trio ~23'
Béla Bartók: String Quartet No. 4 ~23'
Luke Hsuviolin
Benjamin Laicello
Kunal Lahirypiano
vision string quartet
With special thanks to our local partners:

Concert IV

Gizmos & Gadgets

Prompt: "Beethoven working in a robot factory, Cyberpunk"

Prompt: "Beethoven working in a robot factory, Cyberpunk"

Friday, December 20, 2024 · 7:00 PM
Maurice Ravel: Violin Sonata No. 2 ~18'
Galina Ustvolskaya: Grand Duet for cello and piano ~23'
Béla Bartók: Etudes Op. 18 ~7'
Sergei Prokofiev: String Quartet No. 1 in B minor, Op. 50 ~25'
Luke Hsuviolin
Jiyoon Leeviolin
Gordon Lauviola
Yehjin Chuncello
Rainer Crosettcello
Michael Cohen-Weissertpiano
With special thanks to our local partners:

Concert V

Tape Counterpoint

Prompt: "A cross section of a cello revealing a tape recorder, technical drawing"

Prompt: "A cross section of a cello revealing a tape recorder, technical drawing"

Friday, February 7, 2025 · 7:00 PM
Halim el-Dabh: Ta’abir al-Zaar ~2'
Carl Vine: Inner World for Cello and Tape ~13'
Unsuk Chin: ParaMetaString for String Quartet and Tape ~20'
Michael Daugherty: Sing Sing: J. Edgar Hoover for String Quartet and Pre-Recorded Sound ~12'
Bryce Dessner: Tenebre for String Quartet and Tape ~15'
Daniel Stollviolin
Dayoon Youviolin
Kyungsik Shinviola
Yehjin Chuncello
Leonard Disselhorstcello
With special thanks to our local partners:

Concert VI

Electronic Counterpoint

Prompt: "A Renaissance painting, but everyone is on their phone"

Prompt: "A Renaissance painting, but everyone is on their phone"

Friday, March 28, 2025 · 7:00 PM
György Ligeti: Artikulation ~4'
Mario Davidovsky: Synchronisms No. 3 for Cello And Electronic Sound ~5'
Leon Kirchner: String Quartet No. 3 ~18'
Kaija Saariaho: Nymphea for String Quartet and Electronics ~22'
Ben Nobuto: SERENITY 2.0 ~12'
Luke Hsuviolin
Cosima Soulez Larivièreviolin
Friedemann Slenczkaviola
Rainer Crosettcello
Leonard Disselhorstcello
Hiromu Seifertpercussion
With special thanks to our local partners:

Concert VII

Break Away

Prompt: "A composer drowning in sea of dice, anime style"

Prompt: "A composer drowning in sea of dice, anime style"

Friday, April 25, 2025 · 7:00 PM
Karlheinz Stockhausen: Klavierstück XI ~14'
Iannis Xenakis: Diamorphoses for electronics ~7'
Jessie Montgomery: Break Away for String Quartet ~12'
Witold Lutosławski: String Quartet ~24'
Luke Hsuviolin
Mayumi Kanagawaviolin
Haesue Leeviola
Rainer Crosettcello
Yehuda Inbarpiano
With special thanks to our local partners:

Concert VIII

Coding & Decoding

Prompt: "A string quartet playing on telegraph machines, surrealism"

Prompt: "A string quartet playing on telegraph machines, surrealism"

Saturday, May 10, 2025 · 7:00 PM
Brett Dean: Seven Signals ~20'
György Kurtág: Signs, Games and Messages ~15'
Pierre Boulez: Messagesquisse for Cello Solo and 6 Violoncelli ~9'
Dmitri Shostakovich: Piano Trio No. 2 ~27'
Charlotte Thieleviolin
Friedemann Slenczkaviola
Yehjin Chuncello
Rainer Crosettcello
Irena Josifoskacello
Bumjun Kimcello
Benjamin Laicello
Grace Sohncello
Ildikó Szabócello
Žilvinas Brazauskasclarinet
Or Re’empiano
With special thanks to our local partners:

Concert IX

I, AI

Prompt: "HAL 9000, cinematic lighting, detailed, close-up, facing camera"

Prompt: "HAL 9000, cinematic lighting, detailed, close-up, facing camera"

Friday, June 13, 2025 · 7:00 PM
Franz Schubert: Quartettsatz ~10'
Discussion with a philosopher, Artificial Intelligence Developer, and musicians ~40'
Human vs. AI completions of Schubert's Quartettsatz ~10'
Miriam Helms Ålienviolin
Luke Hsuviolin
Gordon Lauviola
Rainer Crosettcello
With special thanks to our local partners:

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