Projects

Audiovisual Works

In collaboration with renowned filmmaker Christine Jezior, whose creations won different awards in Italy, India, Great Britain and the US, Claudia Janet Birkholz produces music videos. Short films that where awarded repeatedly, turning sounds to pictures, stories that can be felt and experienced emotionally on several levels and make the atmosphere of a composition tangible and realistic. Emotional Film arts, sometimes creating an extraterrestrial impression of scenes. And above all is capable to do this: address the subconscious directly via New Music.

Sonata

Acting

LUZIFERS dream

Conversation concerts

With the conversation concerts Claudia Janet Birkholz developed a format being unique in this way. The audience is not only receiver but an active creative part in the events. A highly informative interplay, enabling a new access to subjects of expertise and simultaneously supporting musical understanding. A cultural highlight that moves sustainably and touches with enthusiasm. Artificial Intelligence, Mathematics, Psychology: With an interdisciplinary selection of guests we dive deep into current topics, mostly with a scientific focus, always with discoveries being a result of a symbiosis of New Music and new research outputs. Claudia Janet Birkholz shows the invisible connections and correlations and communicates enriching input and new aspects to both sides.

Artificial Intelligence, Mathematics, Psychology: With an interdisciplinary selection of guests we dive deep into current topics, mostly with a scientific focus, always with discoveries being a result of a symbiosis of New Music and new research outputs. Claudia Janet Birkholz shows the invisible connections and correlations and communicates enriching input and new aspects to both sides.

Claudia Janet Birkholz nimmt an einem Gesprächskonzert bei realtime teil

Artificial Intelligence and Music

Guest: AI scientist Prof. Dr. Kai-Uwe Kühnberger (University of Osnabrück)

Topic: Is AI capable to create music? In this concert, Claudia Janet Birkholz plays both pieces by renowned composers as well as pieces created by AI systems – and engages in conversation about the future of algorithms in composition. With pieces from Toshi Ichiyanagi, Hans Otte, John Cage, Frederic Chopin etc. 

Sound in the mind

Guest: Neuro scientist Prof. Dr. Ben Godde (Jacobs-University Bremen)

Topic: Are there any differences in the processing of Classic, Pop and New Music? About the mechanisms of processing of music in the brain – and the question about how it effects the brain. With pieces from George Crumb, John Cage, György Kurtág, Bunita Marcus etc.

Music psychology

Guest: Prof. Dr. Christoph Louven (University Osnabrück)

Topic: Understanding and expectations, grammars, fears causing soundscape and power positions within concerts of New Music. With pieaces from Toshi Hosokawa, Luigi Dallapiccola, Morton Feldmann, Alvin Lucier etc. 

Mandelbrotmenge und Supersignale

Guest: Prof. Dr. Dr.-Ing.h.c. Heinz-Otto Peitgen

Topic: Mathematics in music – why you can calculate sounds and their effects and how artists can take advantage of formulas. With pieces from György Ligeti.

Music and AI

conversation concert

Are computers better composers?

In the music industry, artificial intelligence belongs to everyday life. It accelerates processes and reduces costs. But passion, emotions and spontaneity can not be created artificially. A statement for creativity.

AI systems learn autonomously and with complexity (“Deep learning”) but we would have to wait for flashes of genius or revolutionary ideas from AI systems. A computer system misses out on driving forces of brilliant creativity like emotions, intrinsic motivation, self sufficient intentions, values and standards. For this reason an AI system can only express a simulation of creativity.

Taking AI systems into consideration you can see very clearly that a composed music requires human performers. This fact remains unchanged in visions of the future. Humans hold emotional consciousness that can not be empathised by machines.And this is the ingredient being able to change all and distinguishes art from pure handcraft.

Solo concerts

Claudia Janet Birkholz masters the entire scope of contemporary sound art and presents it with an inspiring cross of artistic passion and unprecedented sovereignty.

Concerts by Claudia Janet Birkholz are an unforgettable event for those never experienced her art of sound and an enjoyable pleasure for the ones knowing and appreciating contemporary music. Whether on the grand piano or the tiny toy piano, with electronics, additional instruments or completely without any of them: In elaborately arranged, well thought-out and intensively directed concert programmes, she brings sounds to life and touches her audience with a performance that reveals technical perfection, creative finesse and deep musical wisdom. She speaks about music, provides samples and even implements an access for those, who were not able to sympathise with this kind of music.

LUZIFERS DREAM

by Karlheinz Stockhausen

The piano piece XIII “LUZIFERS TRAUM” was composed by Karlheinz Stockhausen in 1981 as part of his opera “Samstag”. Here Lucifer takes center stage, but not as a devil, but as a fallen angel, an idealistic thinker and adversary of everything human.

More solo concerts

Realtime-Festival Bremen

An entire city under the sign of temporary sound art: For the first time in 2021 Claudia Janet Birkholz initiated a festival in Bremen, dedicating itself to the New Music for four full days. The guest country was Poland, the cooperation partner the “Warsaw Autumn” – matching the theme “Encounters”. In small and big venues but also on the streets of Bremen, music, performance-, video- and improvisational art was to be seen. A cultural experience to stimulate senses, move boundaries and put habits to the test. And introducing people to the New Music for the first time.

May 2023 the festival will be organised for the second time. This time together with guest land France and the theme The Human-Music-Machine.

Interviews

Logo Süddeutsche Zeitung

Süddeutsche Zeitung

Interested?

Are you curious about remarkable musical performances, unique conversation concerts or scientific and cultural exchange?

Feel free to contact us!