CONNECT
In the fall of 2015, Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne launched the Europe-wide project CONNECT. In collaboration with four leading Ensembles for New Music – London Sinfonietta from London, Asko Schönberg from Amsterdam, Ensemble Modern from Frankfurt, and Remix Ensemble from Porto – this project is designed to explore the relationship between the audience and the artist, whether composer or musician, as well as to challenge their conventionally assigned roles. This will be achieved by commissioning New Music compositions and performances that, musically and curatorially, specifically deal with this question. The audience shall be involved in the creation of a musical piece and engaged in its performance, which should change the roles of the composer and the musicians by making them part of the audience. The works thereby experience a continuous development so that each performance becomes a premiere.
In the first cycle of CONNECT, two new works were composed: “In the Midst of the Sonorous Islands” by Christian Mason and “The Sonic Great Wall” by Huang Ruo, both of which were performed in several European cities in the fall of 2016. The second cycle premieres Philip Venables' work "The Gender Agenda" and "Orango" by Oscar Bianchi in 2018/19. And the third cycle in 2021/22 is dedicated to Cathy Milliken's new work "Night Shift".