Ensemble Musikfabrik / Phillip Sollmann (Efdemin) / u.a.

In the mid-20th century the American composer and inventor Harry Partch was one of the first to try to release music from its traditional system. To be able to reproduce the melody of a spoken voice on musical instruments, for example, he took a special interest in intermediate tones. From 1923 onwards, he developed a system with 43 tonal steps per octave instead of the usual 12, and set about building the instruments needed to perform his works. The Cologne ensemble Musikfabrik now follows in the composer's footsteps with faithful copies of the legendary Partch instruments, and introduces his music to present-day audiences.

In addition to an original composition by Harry Partch, the ensemble presents brand-new works in the same spirit, contributed by Danish installation artist and composer Simon Steen-Andersen, the Norwegian musician and composer Helge Sten and Berlin DJ and techno producer Phillip Sollmann.

This programme is supported by the Kunststiftung NRW as part of Campus Musikfabrik. Phillip Sollmann’s Monophonie is supported with funds from the Hauptstadtkulturfonds Berlin and is a co-production with the Ruhrtriennale – Festival der Künste.