Ensemblekollektiv Berlin

The EnsembleKollektiv Berlin consists of four contemporary music ensembles that have been in existence for many years: the Ensemble Adapter, the Sonar Quartet, the Ensemble Apparat and the ensemble mosaik. Each of these Berlin-based chamber music groups has its own unique style and repertoire. The core of the German-Icelandic ensemble Adapter Quartett consists of a quartet of flute, clarinet, harp and percussion, which is joined by up to six additional, permanently associated musicians depending on the program. Ensemble Apparat is a brass quintet, while the Sonar Quartet is a classical string quartet. The ensemble mosaik, founded in 1997, is a mixed chamber formation under the direction of Enno Poppe, consisting of ten instrumentalists and a sound director for the performance of live electronic scores. Most of the musicians involved have extensive experience in other special ensembles for contemporary music such as Klangforum Wien, Ensemble Modern or Musikfabrik Köln. In the ensemble collective Berlin, these formations complement each other to form a body of sound whose new musical possibilities extend far beyond the framework set by chamber music ensembles.

This special constellation based on independent ensembles is not only a novelty for the Berlin cultural scene. Since its founding in spring 2014, the EnsembleKollektiv Berlin has given regular concerts in Germany and abroad, performing works by Ondřej Adámek, Gérard Grisey, Bernhard Lang, Sergej Newski, Enno Poppe and Clara Iannotta, among others. In addition, the Ensemblekollektiv Berlin has commissioned numerous composers such as Rebecca Saunders and Sarah Nemtsov to write new pieces specifically tailored to its capabilities, which are now also part of its repertoire.

Now in the tenth year of its existence, EnsembleKollektiv presents itself in a new formation that, while rooted in the original cast, has developed into an independent and more flexible structure. The ensemble, which is now a strong nexus in the Berlin independent scene, reflects the dynamic capacities that defines this community. As a result of the unique collaborative ethos within the ensemble, the range of musical experience and expertise of its founding members and its expansive network of participants go to serve a comprehensive and ambitious approach to music-making in large-scale ensembles. EnsembleKollektiv is regularly invited to leading festivals throughout Germany and Europe, including the Wittener Tage für Neue Kammermusik, rainy days in Luxembourg, Afekt in Tallinn, Musica Viva in Munich, Musikfest Berlin, the Ultraschall Festival in Berlin and MaerzMusik.