_composer slam

It all began when Simon Kluth attended a poetry slam in 2011 for the first time. He was thrilled with the way the audience participated at the poetry slam. He wanted this level of engagement and excitement for modern compositions. He also wanted to introduce contemporary composers in a different way — not just in concert halls but to different venues and different audiences.

 

Simon channeled his excitement into an idea that put him on the stage in 2013 to host his first Composer Slam in Hanover and put his dissertation, Composer Slam — A Form of Musical Education, on the library shelf of the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media.

 

_play — but don’t say or sing a word

Composers from different genres are invited to perform their own work. Although the Composer Slam is inspired by poetry slam, the composers can’t say or sing a word during their performance. This makes the Composer Slam unique and challenging.

 

There is no age, gender, professional or musical requirement for the performing composers — every genre and instrument is welcome. From classic, pop, and jazz to the avant-garde and world music, audiences have voted on compositions performed acoustically or electronically amplified on a wide range of instruments.

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_and the winner is ... 

The audience is the jury and votes on a winner, but the Composer Slam isn’t about finding the best composer. Since its inception in 2013, and the first performance at the Kulturzentrum Faust in Hanover, Simon has been organizing and hosting Composer Slams throughout Germany every year. His Composer Slam has been a part of the Heidelberger Frühling Festival four years in a row. He has taken the stage three times at Die Glocke in Bremen to introduce composers, and twice has asked audiences of the Elbe Philharmonic Hall Greatest Hits Festival in Hamburg to select the winning composer. It’s about introducing different kinds of compositions, putting composers on stage and in the spotlight, and engaging the audience.

 

Please visit www.composerslam.com for further information on attending, performing, or hosting a Composer Slam.