Final Tickets to win for the altstadtherbst!


altstadtherbst closes on Monday October 3 with the German premiere of Jean Paul Smadj's "The Oud according to Smadj" with an intriguing mix of music from several nations - there are still a handful of tickets available! It's bound to be a memorable closing night!!!

Smadj
©Arnauld Weil

We are fortunate enough to have two tickets to give away for this final concert; the fifth person to answer the question below, wins!
What is Smadj's Arabian lute also known as? 
Email win@rhinebuzz.com 

The altstadtherbst has certainly brought some fascinating acts to Düsseldorf.
Eun-Me Ahn from Korea colourfully sticks in my mind the most of all the performances I have seen so far. It was completely wild! I've been fortunate enough to see much of what has been happening at the festival and can only describe my feeling as complete admiration for Christiane Oxenfort and Andreas Dahmen who, with the help of some fabulously generous sponsors, have put this unusual and lively, and at times brave mix of performers together every autumn for some twenty one years now.
The logistics just don't bear thinking about!

The programme has included extraordinary performances such as Brian Eon's Music for Airports, which was played at Düsseldorf International by the Bang on a Can All-Stars from New York.
The experience of seeing and hearing this music being played live at the location for which it was written was quite something. The travellers stopped and gazed at what was going on, the people on the escalators seemed to move slower to the music, the public announcements glided perfectly to the sounds from the stage. Pity we can't have something like this going on at DUS more regularly!

Bang on a Can entertain both airport travellers and audience

Air France generously flew in some 40+ musicians from India for the electric and frenzied Manganiyar Seduction for which we were able to give away tickets:


Winners of the tickets to the Manganiyar Seduction:
" .... amazing! I can't stop smiling & flying. So happy!!"

©Bernd Ahrens Photography

I was also pretty surprised by Stabil Elite who played at the NRW Bank. Prize winners of a Düsseldorf young music prize, they had been recommended to me by Philip Maiburg back in March when I was researching for the "We Love Music" Tour as the young Düsseldorf band to watch out for. Now, I finally got to see them at this city festival and was so impressed by their casual, yet stylish presence and mesmerising beats. I look forward to seeing them again in a dark club somewhere in the city again soon.

Stabil Elite
©RhineBuzz

Other highlights have been Finnish Duo WHS who entertained with video art and illusions second to none in the performances "The Waiting Room" and "Speed Blindness". The godfather of video art, Nam June Paik came to mind as the audience were submersed into another world, surreal and totally intriguing.

The Waiting Room WHS
©Pirje Mykkänen

Another fabulous project was Dance of the Machines at Demag Cranes where a large audience witnessed young people who, during the day are young technical trainees at Demag Cranes, performing amongst other things, a ballet for industrial machinery and  movies made by school students shown to music played by the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra.

Cheering Audience at Dance of the Machines

"Like  a Hurricane" with welders on 'backing vocals'
Dance of the Machines

We been privileged to be able to give away 6 pairs of tickets to lucky winners of the RhineBuzz community, the feedback has been wonderful -

Our first winner, Devesh Komaromi from Essen wrote: 
"the Eh-Me Ahn show was fabulous. Strange, but fun and stimulating and downright bizarre in places. Just our style!"

And winners from the 'We Love Music' tour  "... we had also a fantastic evening with princess Bari on the Altstadtherbst. Thanks again for the won tickets during the “we love music tour with you and Tim - and other crazy musicians". We had very good seats right in the middle near the stage, great !"

We will be there at the final concert on Monday and I personally am hugely looking forward to seeing the programme for 2012 of this wonderful festival that combines classical chrous and symphony orchestras with Pacman, cranes and the very latest in electronic music to the Asian vision of the crazy royal life of a princess. 

The Düsseldorfers are so lucky to have all this on their doorstep.
Einfach grossartig!


Breakdance Workshops with Flying Bach

Red Bull Flying Bach
©Bernd Ahrens Photography



Red Bull Flying Bach premiered in Germany yesterday at the Tonhalle.


Last night under the heavenly stars of the former planetarium, the audience were delighted by fascinating head spins and tight moves to the sounds of Bach and the dancers from Flying Steps. The next three dates at the Tonhalle are sold out, but you still have a chance to see this show at other venues in Germany.


If you'd like to get close and up dancing with the guys, they are offering 3 breakdance workshops, all for beginners, on Saturday October 1 at the:

JC Adademy Hip Hop am Rhein
 Bunsenstr 19 
40215 Düsseldorf

at 12.30, 1.30 and 2.30pm
€15 per person, per 1 hour workshop.


Please register: info@jcacademy.de

I spoke with artistic director Christoph Hagel at the press conference - looks like we might be seeing him around on the 'We Love Music Tour' on Saturday!!!


Chatting with Christoph Hagel, 
artistic director Flying Bach
©Bernd Ahrens Photography

A Great Idea! After Work Arts at mkp





The beauty of our After Work Arts at mkp is manifold.
We enjoy the luxury of a mini, personal 'tour'. An peek at world-class paintings, a bit of background information and a whole lot more on the techniques and ideas used in one or two selected pieces in just 10 minutes.
Then we head for the studio. Robe-up and are let loose on paper, canvas and an abundant supply of paint.
Our wonderful instructor, Sabrina Haunsperger, is a young prize-winning artist. She has spent some time in New York and so is only to happy to share both her practical and theoretical experience with us in English. I see our group hanging on to every word.
Some are a little hesitant to begin. How do I begin? Where do I begin?
But once one person gets going there is no stopping us and we indulge in what I can only call paint heaven.
Now if you have ever painted at home you will appreciate the facilities at this magnificent studio all the more.
You don’t have to carefully select the paints you wish to purchase in the arts shop often at great expense - they are all there.
You don’t have one precious canvas to paint on. At home you might sit and pontificate on “doing it right” on this one precious base that you have just purchased ... The various bases we use in the studio are in ample supply.
You don’t have to protect your floor or table. Sabrina prepares the studio for us.
You don’t have to clear up. We do a bit, paintbrushes in buckets, lids on paints, but this is an enormous studio. You don’t have to clear away everything to put dinner on the table.
You are distracted by nothing. You can totally switch-off. You can do nothing but create.
Everyone completely relaxes in the studio. Phones are switched off without hesitation.

Many have said that this is just, if not more, relaxing as taking part in sports or visiting a spa.
And perhaps most precious of all we get to see masterpieces first and realise and respect that it’s very much not a case of “I can do that,” as is so often said.


Techniques and ideas, the very craft of making art; it is child’s play and it isn’t. And you only come to really appreciate this if you have a go yourself.
However, this so isn't an ‘art class’. This isn’t about learning to do something properly. There is no right way to create and the emphasis is so very much on having a go and not “can I make a fabulous painting?”
Those that thought they were 'not artstic' are astounded at what they do have to take home at the end of the day, but that’s ‘just’ a delicious by-product.

Last Thursday May 27th, was only my second session of the four we have so far hosted. I am thrilled to have started this partnership with mkp as I see and hear that many of the RhineBuzzers also are.
We have never received so many emails saying “I’d like to join but can’t mid-week” so we have booked the studio as a one-off on Sunday June 27th. We will repeat the Jackson Pollock session from April from 2-4pm. If this is a success, we will look at a regular weekend date from the autumn.
€18 buys you a whole lot. A peek at the exhibition, expert knowledge, endless paint, tools and materials to work with. Many laughs and moments of silence and contemplation.
It’s fantastic value and a really great night out. Just ask any one who has joined us so far, they don’t want to go home!
And thank you mkp. We just love you!
Karl Otto Götz Orchideenbild and our attempts having contemplated the work of Götz

RhineBuzz After Work Arts
at the Studio at mkp happens every fourth Thursday of the month
 from 7-9pm.
Next date October 27 7 - 9pm

Places must be booked one week before the event.

Savion Glover - Bare Soundz Tickets to Win at altstadtherbst!

Savion Glover
@Christian Altorfer

Gregory Hines: 'Glover is possibly the best tap dancer that has ever lived'.


The festival altstadtherbst brings American tap dancer extraordinaire to Düsseldorf this weekend with Savion Glover and his incredible show Bare Soundz.


Glover's resumé is astounding: he danced on Broadway at just 10 and was nominated for a Tony award at 12, winning twice in 1996 as one of the youngest nominees ever. Savion Glover is not only a dancer, but a passionate teacher and inspiration for thousands.


Quite simply, Glover is the future of tap and we here in Düsseldorf can count ourselves incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to witness this great artist live and up close in the festival marquee on Burgplatz.




Once again, we are delighted to be able to give away 2 tickets for yet another spectacular performance, Savion Glover on October 2 - just answer the following question and email the answer to win@rhinebuzz.com The first correct answer wins!


Which name does the trio Savion Glover, Marshall Davis Jr. and Keitaro Hosokawa perform under?





Savion Glover Bare Soundz @NN



Savion Glover plays at the altstadtherbst on September 30 and October 1 and 2.

Ran Jia Piano Concert, 2 for 1 RhineBuzz Special at the Tonhalle



Award-winning Ran Jia is the young Chinese musician described as a 'piano poet with dramatic skill in music-making'.
Quite simply she is one of the brightest stars shining in the impressive world of the young Chinese pianists right now!

RhineBuzz is pleased to offer you all a very special 2 for 1 ticket offer for this concert. 
Tickets, just €18 for two, will be available at the ticket desk on the Rhine side of the Tonhalle on Sunday evening if you mention "RhineBuzz' when purchasing. This is the 'back stage' entrance to the Tonhalle.



Ran Jia will play:

Johann Sebastian Bach
Toccata c-Moll BWV 911
Maurice Ravel
Miroirs
Franz Schubert
Sonate 
D 845 in a minor 


Please do not hesitate to contact Meike Knoche for further details: meike.knoche@duesseldorf.de



The concert begins at 6.30pm
Helmut-Hentrich-Saal, Tonhalle
Ehrenhof 1
40479 Düsseldorf

Approximation Festival



Approximation Festival opens this evening with a concert in the Tonhalle by the legendary Steve Reich, recently described in the New York Times as 'the greatest living composer'.
A pioneer of minimal compositions, his concert tonight will certainly be quite special, the atmosphere of the Tonhalle perfect for this kind of sound.
This is such an extraordinary festival of new, ground-breaking music - musically speaking, it certainly was one of my personal highlights of last year when I witnessed, open-mouthed, Aki Takase playing piano, quite simply like nothing I had ever been aware of before.


Saturday sees another interesting concert in the museum K20 when Tolouse Low Trax plays in another very special space. 
Go and experience something you might know very little about, this celebration of new sounds, is at home in Düsseldorf, the very starting point of new electronic music and Kraftwerk from all those years ago.
Several concerts are taking place in the edgiest club in town,  Salon des Amateurs.
Approximation Festival September 20 to 25



Eun-Me Ahn Company perform The Life of Princess Bari

The Life of Princess Bari
©Young Mo Choe


What a wonderful start to the beginning of the altstadtherbst!
Having treated to us to a performance that threw the audience into a feast of colour, beautiful images, hypnotic beats and sometimes playful expressive movements, the ensemble Eun-Me Ahn thrilled the audience in the purpose-built festival marquee on Burgplatz last night. Happily rewarded with rapturous clapping, whistles and stamping feet exclaiming pure appreciation and joy, as the company took their final bows, a real magic moment of theatre was created by this South Korean ensemble that arrived in Düsseldorf fresh from the Edinburgh Festival.

Last week I met a Korean curator who told me 'oh Eun-Me Ahn, she's kind of crazy ...!" and my, she wasn't wrong. This piece is crazy, but in the nicest, nicest possible way. It was simply sensational!


The Life of Princess Bari is a real mix of the traditional Korea and very modern dance, hip hop even. The live percussionists left of the stage had everyone raptured in their seats with the energy they were immersing us in, an elderly gentleman in a wheelchair right in front of me bopped away for ages with such a lovely smile on his face. It was such a joy to see the artists and audience have so very much fun. 


The Life of Princess Bari
©Young Mo Choe


How can I describe the piece? It was kind of like a mix of Alice in Wonderland meets The Yellow Submarine in an Asian world. It's all still swirling around in my mind, I'd love to go again, but am seeing French illusionist tonight, Le Soir des Monstres, at the Tanzhaus NRW this evening, also part of the incredible altstadtherbst that we are so very lucky to have here in the city every fall.


Go see! There are still tickets available for Princess Bari tonight and Saturday and to all who are going, including our lucky winners, you are in for a real treat! Lucky you!


The altstadtherbst continues until October 3.

CRYSSIS Launch Party September 17



It's affectionately called British/German Power Pop, the new CRYSSIS CD "Simple Men" will make you want to dance! It's that simple! 
Released on Drumming Monkey Records, there's no doubt that the deep music vibe between CRYSSIS founders Dick York and Vom Ritchie (from Düsseldorf's own 'Toten Hosen', one of Germany's biggest bands) has brought a brand new flavor to an old-school touch from the 70's and 80's, where these songs were first written and performed.  

The official Release-Party on September 17 will definitely be a not-to-be-missed "back to the roots" event! 
Doors open at 7.30pm.
Three incredible bands for ONLY 10 Euros!


CRYSSIS Launch Party
40239 Düsseldorf

Vom Ritchie joins us for the "We Love Music" Tour
©Bernd Ahrens Photography

Tim D. Morand

50 Years of the Kunstsammlung NRW K20/K21

©Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen

Presentation of the Klee Collection in Schloss Jägerhof, 1960
 © Landesarchiv Nordrhein-Westfalen, Abteilung Rheinland

© Kunstsammlung NRW




Dr. Marion Ackermann, director of the Kunstsammlung,
presents the latest acquisition of the collection
A watercolour entitled Polyphone Strömungen by Paul Klee from 1929
©Bernd Ahrens Photography
 



The State Collection of Art, Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen is celebrating 50 years in existence with a special KPMG evening on September 7. Both museums, K20 and K21, will be open until 10pm. Free admission is from 4pm.
The golden annivesary will be special celebrated with 'behind the scenes' tours and events in both houses, dance, literature and music and German bratwurst with gold-leaf!



K20 GRABBEPLATZ

Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen
Grabbeplatz 5
40213 Düsseldorf


K21 STÄNDEHAUS

Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen
Ständehausstraße 1
40217 Düsseldorf


SCHMELA HAUS
Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen
Mutter-Ey-Straße 3
40213 Düsseldorf





Win tickets for the altstadtherbst!



The Life of Princess Bari©Young Mo Choe



Today RhineBuzz gives you have a chance to win the first of 2x5 tickets for the altstadtherbst which begins on September 14.


The first tickets we are giving away are for the performance of "The Life of Princess Bari" by the Eun-Me Ahn Company on Saturday September 17 at 8pm at the Festival Marquee on Burgplatz.
This wonderful piece will move your very soul as you are transformed into a moving world of an east-western atmosphere that combines dance, music and language.


Take a look at the altstadtherbst programme and the first person to send an email to win@rhinebuzz.com telling us which country the Eh-Me Ahn Company is from wins the tickets!
Good luck people!