The international festival for vocal performance art, sound and music DESIGNING VOICES will take place for the third time in Potsdam from 9 to 12 October 2025. Under this year's motto ‘Klangsinne’ (sound senses), the festival highlights the sensory aspects of vocal sounds and explores the meaning of sound in interaction with and without language. The human voice as an art object is enhanced with live technologies or enters into dialogue with instruments or objects.
With the themes From Sense to Sound and The Long Night of Curious Voices, DESIGNING VOICES will be a guest at fabrik Potsdam for two days, where 19 performers from Germany and abroad will present themselves in six concert performances in various constellations. The festival awards two composition commissions, which will be premiered. In addition, the festival offers a three-day workshop led by Mark van Tongeren, which is open to all interested parties.
PROGRAMME AT FABRIK POTSDAM
Fri 10 Oct 2025
From Meaning to Sound
19:00 Concert 1: Ensemble KLANGPAKT (DE)
Alex Nowitz | Stimme, gestenkontrollierte Live-Elektronik (Strophonion), E-Bass
Matthias Badczong | Klarinette, Bassklarinette , Stimme
Christine Paté | Vierteltonakkordeon, Stimme
Matthias Bauer | Kontrabass, Stimme
With works by Meinrad Kneer & collective compositions. Texts by Kurt Schwitters, Emmy Hennings, Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven, Daniil Charms, Uljana Wolf, Hugo Ball
21:00 Concert 2: Meinrad Kneers PHOSPHOROS Ensemble (DE)
Angela Postweiler | Sopran
Uli Pleßmann | Sprecher
Frank Gratkowski | Klarinette, Bassklarinette
Ulrike Brand | Violoncello
Meinrad Kneer | Kontrabass, Komposition, Leitung
With works by Meinrad Kneer & collective compositions. Texts by Kurt Schwitters, Emmy Hennings, Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven, Daniil Charms, Uljana Wolf, Hugo Ball.
Sat 11 Oct 2025
THE LONG NICHT OF STRANGE VOICES
19:00 Concert 3: VIVA VOCAL Ensemble (SE)
Casey Moir | Stimme, Objekte
Klara Ahlersten | Stimme, Objekte
Maria Palmqvist | Stimme, Objekte
Amanda Törngren | Stimme, Objekte
Hannah Tolf | Stimme, Objekte
With works by Casey Moir. Texts by Gertrude Stein & Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven.
20:30 Concert 4 (Part 1): Natalia Pschenitschnikova (RU/DE)
Natalia Pschenitschnikova | Stimme, Elektronik, Objekte, Komposition
Voice performance based on a painting by Paul Klee and a text by Walter Benjamin (world premiere).
21:15 Concert 4 (Part 2): In My Water (FR)
Guylaine Cosseron | Stimme
Diemo Schwarz | Live-Elektronik (Computer)
With works by Guylaine Cosseron & Diemo Schwarz
22:30 Concert 5: SONIC ALCHEMY meets Alex Nowitz (PT, IT, DE)
Sofia Borges | Schlagzeug, Perkussion, Live-Elektronik
Klaus Janek | Kontrabass, Live-Elektronik
Alex Nowitz | Stimme, gestenkontrollierte Live-Elektronik (Strophonion)
With works by Sofia Borges, Klaus Janek & Alex Nowitz. Texts by Alex Nowitz.
Thu 9–Sat 11 Oct
Workshop Overtone Singing and Resonance
With Mark van Tongeren
- Further programme items of the festival: www.designing-voices.nowitz.de
