About free music forum concert series
In spring 2022 the cultural association free music forum – forum for free jazz and free improvisation - did start it's concert series featuring international groups in Vienna, Austria.
The concert series is curated by a team of internationally renowned musicians (from Austria and abroad) and the initiator of the series. They all also organize/organized their own concert series and festivals in their regions, representing different tendencies within the free jazz and improvisation genre. (scroll down for more details)
The curators’ teamwork for the concert series in Vienna intends to enhance the collaboration between venues and musicians from different regions.
The musicians will get the opportunity to play at new places and receive support from our network.
The audiences in Vienna will discover different approaches and tendencies within the free jazz and improvisation genre, experiencing a wide range of musicians and new formations.
The concert series organized by free music forum takes place at the venue celeste, Hamburgerstr. 18, 1050 Vienna
With this concert series free music forum tries to fill a gap that appeared after the venue Blue Tomato had to close at the end of 2021. After 39 years of inspiring free jazz and improvisation concerts in such a beautiful location we are grateful for all their work and passion!!!
Concert Series
CURATOR TEAM
Elisabeth Harnik (AT) pianist, composer
Her own concert series is called Kunsthaltestelle Streckhammerhaus. In addition, she is on the board of V:NM (Association for promotion and dissemination of New Music) which organizes concerts in Graz/Austria and was also supervising V:NM's recent exchange project Alpenglow 7.
As an improviser she works within an electro-acoustic inspired sound world, using specific preparations and extended techniques while pushing the limitations of the piano. Besides her solo performances she is member of numerous ensembles for improvised music and has performed and recorded with a number of internationally recognised representatives of the contemporary jazz scene in Europe and abroad such as Johannes Bauer, Thomas Lehn, Frank Gratkowski, Jaap Blonk, Joëlle Léandre, Mikołaj Trzaska, Alison Blunt, Fay Victor, Steve Swell, Michael Zerang, Dave Rempis, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Ken Vandermark, Tim Daisy, Andrea Centazzo, Clayton Thomas a.o.
www.elisabeth-harnik.at
www.vnm.mur.at
Antonio Borghini (IT) Berlin double bass player, composer
Antonio Borghini & Joel Grip curated an ongoing concert series with focus on weekly residencies at the collectively organized venue Au Topsi Pohl in Berlin from 2019-2022.
Antonio Borghini's main musical focus is communication within a collective and the role of orality in music. Antonio played in many international improvisers and Jazz groups with well known musicians like Sean Bergin, Gianluca Petrella, Hamid Drake, David Murray, Anthony Braxton, Butch Morris, Han Bennink, John Tchicai, Axel Dörner, Tobias Delius and a long lasting collaboration together with cello player Tristan Honsinger. His current main projects are “Die Hochstapler”, the string trio “Eponj” and “Der Lange Schatten”.
www.antonioborghini.com
www.autopsipohl.com
Joel Grip (SE) Berlin double bass player, label- concert- organizer, artist
Antonio Borghini & Joel Grip curated an ongoing concert series with focus on weekly residencies at the collectively organized venue Au Topsi Pohl in Berlin from 2019-2022.
Joel Grip makes music with transformative character using improvisation. It is, for him, not only about timing and sound; about when you do what, and about questioning and making use of knowledge (ideas, habits, traditions, experience, deliberation and intuition), but also about how to become music or maybe more like disappear in the act of making, through handcraft gestures in the realms of beyondsense. Active in groups Klub Demboh, Oùat, [ahmed], [ism], Herr Borelgrip, Tribute to Sheep, and in various collaborations with Sven-Åke Johansson and Tristan Honsinger respectively. Joel Grip started the label Umlaut Records in 2003 with an important impact on the pan-european scenes of creative musics. He is also co-founder and main producer of the festivals Hagenfesten in Dala-Floda (SE), NGO Public Health Music (2005-2008), and of the film production company Umlicht. Apart from his musical activities, Joel Grip makes films and drawings/paintings.
Franz Hautzinger (AT) Vienna trumpeter, composer
Together with Isabelle Dutoit he run the concert series Bords de Mhere in Mhère (FR). He was also festival organizer for the festival Paysages d’écoute in le Mans (FR).
Franz Hautzinger developed and own musical expressions on his quarter tone trumpet creating bizzar sounds and noises forming adventurous soundscapes.
As a renowned experimental musicians of the Austrian scene he works with well known musicians from the international Avantgarde and has several own ensembles (e.g. Regenorchester, Gomberg, Dachte Musik). Franz cooperated with Eliot Sharp, Otomo Yoshihide, Butch Morris, Keiji Haino, Hamid Drake, Lou Reed, Zeitkratzer, Derek Bailey, Phil Niblock, Christian Fennesz etc.
Mona Matbou Riahi (IR) Vienna clarinetist, composer
Mona Matbou Riahi curated 2023 the concert series DE/ensemble in Vienna, combining different genres and cultures.
Mona Matbou Rihai is focusing in her music on combining contemporary and classical musical elements as well as improvisation and new experimental techniques.
As an improviser she plays solo and in many ensembles is member in orchestras/big ensembles. With her ensembles she is on many jazz festivals present and was awarded several times. She played/plays for example with Anthony Braxton, Anil Eraslan, Anja Lechner, Lukas Kranzelbinder, Manu Mayr, Golfam Khayam, Alexander Yanillos, Philip Kienberger, Golnar Shayar, François Couturier, Simon Stockhausen, Dave Smith, Burkhard Stangl, We Wei. She is an active member of Trickster Orchestra, and in former years at ORF Radio Symphonie Orchester, Morgenland Chamber Orchestra, Max Steiner Orchestra, Tehran Symphony Orchestra.
http://www.monamatbouriahi.com/
Corinne Studer (CH), Vienna saxophonist, cultural manager, artist
Corinne Studer initiated and manages the free music forum concert series.
From 2018-2020 she co-organized the festival Konfrontationen at Jazzgalerie in Nickelsdorf (AT).
She works on shaping sounds scapes and free jazz expressions on the saxophone and joins regularly improvisation sessions in Vienna. In former years she was active as a journalist and artist.
Former member of the curator team (2022):
Isabelle Duthoit (FR) clarinetist, vocalist, composer
Together with Franz Hautzinger she run the concert series Bords de Mhere in Mhère (FR). She was also festival organizer for the festivals Fruits de Mhere in Mhère (FR) and Paysages d’écoute in le Mans (FR).
Isabelle Duthoits’ musical expression is a recognisable, very strong and impulsive voice and clarinet performance.
As an improviser she is playing together with well known musicians from the french improvisers scene and in the last years also within the austrian scene. In addition she plays with Phil Minton, AB Baars, Thomas Lehn etc. She tours solo and with NYX, Rouge, Where is the sun, Uruk.
Isabelle Duthoit and Franz Hautzinger are working together since a couple of years. With instant composing they are developing their music and forming soundscapes and abstract musical expressions.
