The concert took place on

Saturday, June 13, 2026
Konzertsaal der UdK Berlin

Nebojsa Zivkovic: Trio per Uno | George Crumb: An Idyll for the Misbegotten | Maki Ishii: Thirteen Drums op. 66 | LeonardBernstein: Ḥalil, Nocturne | as well as world premieres from Yike Du, Friederike Horz and Lukas Mertin

Ensemble ilinx – Studio for Contemporary Music at the UdK Berlin / Soloists from Prof. Christina Fassbender’s flute class and Prof. Simone Rubino and Prof. Jan Biesterfeld’s percussion class / Leah Muir, artistic direction

The diverse program centers on the flute and percussion in a wide variety of combinations. Pioneering compositions for these instrumentations from the past 60 years amaze us and trace the evolution of numerous playing techniques for these instruments. At the same time, one senses how deeply the composers incorporate external events into their works and explore them through sound: Whether it’s Nebosja Zivkovic’s trio, in which “three bodies, one soul” create music on a single drumhead, or the ongoing destruction of the environment (George Crumb), or the exploration of war and violence in Bernstein’s Ḥalil—which, incidentally, is the name of a Jewish flute—that is at times gentle and then suddenly takes a dramatic turn. Bernstein himself describes the work as an expression of a struggle “between tonal and atonal forces,” in which an “overwhelming will to live and the comforting powers of art, love, and hope for peace” grapple with “wars and the threat of war.” For composing always means, at the same time, taking a stand—whether as an appeal, an expression of agreement, or a dissenting voice.

The three world premieres by the students—also for solo flute and ensemble with percussion—show us how today’s composers find their voice and, as the festival draws to a close, point the way to the future.