KERSTIN PETERSEN
» The Hamburg organist enthused with contemporary music. She really savoured the 'beautiful' passages - Kerstin Petersen played the organ with unrivalled liveliness and a willingness to take risks. «
» The Hamburg organist enthused with contemporary music. She really savoured the 'beautiful' passages - Kerstin Petersen played the organ with unrivalled liveliness and a willingness to take risks. «
BIOGRAPHY
Die Organistin Kerstin Petersen, Hamburg (Deutschland) ist mit internationalem Radius als Neue Musik-Interpretin unterwegs.
Ideenreich bringt sie das traditionsreiche Wind-Instrument mit aktuellen Themen in Berührung und erschließt ungeahnte Horizonte für die „Königin der Instrumente".
Kerstin Petersen, Hamburg (Germany) is an internationally interpreter of new organ music.
She brings the traditional wind instrument into contact with contemporary themes and opens up unimagined horizons for the "queen of instruments".
CALENDAR
MEDIA
Daniel Smutny »°still« (2022) • Kerstin Petersen, augmented organ
°still – together we are making a difference
environment for hybrid choir / six voices, augmented organ, foley-artists, audio guides and wandering audience by Daniel Smutny
The video presents the concert by the Frequenz Klangkunst-Festival 2023 in St. Nikolai Kiel with vocal / instrumental soloists and Kerstin Petersen (organ), Maximilian Riefer (conductor), Sherif el Razzaz (artistic director).
The second video gives impressions from world premiere of °still with soloist Kerstin Petersen on the historic Wegscheider organ in Kulturkirche St. Jakobi Stralsund. The concert was part of Stralsunder Orgeltage 2022.
Alyssa Aska »bei mir« (2021) • Kerstin Petersen, organ & drones
»bei mir« for organ and drones was created by Alyssa Aska as part of the project "An Wasserflüssen Babylon - orgel aktuell".
The world premiere otook place on 21 March 2021 in the Catholic Church of St. Marien Hamburg Altona. The interpreter: Kerstin Petersen. For background information you can watch this second video about the creation of "bei mir" with interview of the composer Alyssa Aska, Mehrdad Zaeri (artist) and Kerstin Petersen (organist). Both videos were made on 10/11 April 2021.
Thank you, dear St. Marien parish! Many thanks also to Musikfonds e.V. for the project funding, to Dr Christine Blanken from the Leipzig Bach Archive for the valuable information and digital images for "Bist du bei mir", and to Ele Runge for your video, it was very inspiring to work with you!
The original stops of the score can be found on the Führer/Späth organ III/33 (1964/2011) in St. Marien Altona: www.freiburger-orgelbau.de.
The painting "Maria of Magdala" (2008) appears in the video with the permission of the artist Mehrdad Zaeri; music excerpts and sound document with the permission of composer Alyssa Aska. The excerpt from the manuscript by Anna Magdalena Bach comes from www.bach-digital.de, Portraitfoto©️Elke Zimmermann, Video©️Ele Runge, Kerstin Petersen
GALLERY
ENSEMBLES
Duo A&O
Eva Zöllner ACCORDION
Kerstin Petersen ORGAN
The Duo A&O: INTERACTION #2 | ORGAN & AKKORDION Festival brandneu in St. Martin Kassel, Germany: “Probably the currently most renowned duo for organ and accordion“
Duo A&O presents MUSIC OF TODAY: Ruta Paidere, Oxana Omelchuk and Improvisation connected with Giovanni Gabrieli, Johann Sebastian Bach a.o.
YouTube: Oxana Omelchuk »Die Bäume wachsen in den Himmel nicht« • Duo A&O Eva Zöllner (accordion) & Kerstin Petersen (organ)
The Duo A&O: INTERACTION #2 | ORGAN & AKKORDION Festival brandneu in St. Martin Kassel, Germany: “Probably the currently most renowned duo for organ and accordion“
Duo A&O presents MUSIC OF TODAY: Ruta Paidere, Oxana Omelchuk and Improvisation connected with Giovanni Gabrieli, Johann Sebastian Bach a.o.
YouTube: Oxana Omelchuk »Die Bäume wachsen in den Himmel nicht« • Duo A&O Eva Zöllner (accordion) & Kerstin Petersen (organ)
The Duo A&O
Eva Zöllner and Kerstin Petersen have been performing as Duo A&O since 2009. In concert halls and churches they present the expressive, multi-coloured sound possibilities of their instruments and constantly initiate new compositions for their unique instrumentation. Their contemporary repertoire is impressive and diverse, allowing the two instruments to merge into one gigantic wind instrument.
In their concert ROOTS & CHANGES Duo A&O presents improvisations with accordion and hyper organ and compositions by Ruta Paidere, Oxana Omelchuk and Knut Müller, which were composed for the duo in recent years. The music is inspired by themes from Gabrieli and Mendelssohn Bartholdy "Lieder ohne Worte” - finely interwoven with jazz elements. “Sonata” by Thomas Beimel sounds in conjunction with the Molzer organ. This silent work consists of subtle gestures and overlays - inviting contemplative listening. In a contrasting, very powerful way the composition “und endlich der tanz” [and finally the dance] by Ruta Paidere reflects archaic Latvian musical traditions.
References: Akkordeon Akut Festival Halle, Hochschule für Kirchenmusik Herford und Leipzig, Sächsischer Musikbund, Symposium Kirchenmusik & Orgelakademie Stade, Festival Orfeo / Organeum, Orgelstadt Hamburg, Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg, Festival blurred edges, TONALi, forumJETZTmusik, Internationale Orgelakademie Göteborg, Kultursommer Rheinland-Pfalz, BRANDNEU europäisches Festival für neueste Orgelmusik 2022 in St. Martin Kassel, Orgelpark Amsterdam a.o.
Eva Zöllner, one of the most active accordionists of her generation, is dedicated to contemporary music. As internationally acclaimed soloist she appears in projects ranging from experimental solo performances to concerts with renowned ensembles all around the world. She has premiered more than 250 new works for her instrument. www.eva-zoellner.de
Organ soloist Kerstin Petersen performs internationally and offers innovative facets and playing techniques of the queen of instruments to the audience. Her main focus lies on new organ solo and chamber music, for which she collaborates closely with composers from all over the world.
www.kerstin-petersen.org
Program example: ROOTS & CHANGES presented in Orgelpark Amsterdam 2023:
• Improvisation
• Oxana Omelchuk (*1975) ...die Bäume wachsen in den Himmel nicht… (2009) for accordion and organ commissioned by the Duo A&O for the Mendelssohn anniversary
• Improvisation
• Ruta Paidere (*1977) und endlich der tanz (2019/2021) for accordion an organ 1. Unablässig, wie ein Drehtanz 2. sehr rhythmisch, grob 3. elegant, mechanisch. quasi ein alter Hoftanz dedicated to the Duo A&O soundcloud „und endlich der Tanz“
• Thomas Beimel (1967-2016) Sonata communio (2007) for accordion and organpositiv
• Improvisation
• Knut Müller (*1963) NiN-LiL (2011) for accordion an organ inspired by Giovanni Gabrieli, Canzon Sol Sol La Sol Fa Mi a 8 - dedicated to the Duo A&O soundcloud "NiN-LiL“
📧 Further information, e.g. programme examples from J. S. Bach to Lina Tonia, can be sent to you - please feel very free to contact Kerstin Petersen by e-mail (see CONTACT). Booking enquiries can also be made via this e-path.
See also REPERTOIRE DOWNLOAD
The Duo A&O
Eva Zöllner and Kerstin Petersen have been performing as Duo A&O since 2009. In concert halls and churches they present the expressive, multi-coloured sound possibilities of their instruments and constantly initiate new compositions for their unique instrumentation. Their contemporary repertoire is impressive and diverse, allowing the two instruments to merge into one gigantic wind instrument.
In their concert ROOTS & CHANGES Duo A&O presents improvisations with accordion and hyper organ and compositions by Ruta Paidere, Oxana Omelchuk and Knut Müller, which were composed for the duo in recent years. The music is inspired by themes from Gabrieli and Mendelssohn Bartholdy "Lieder ohne Worte” - finely interwoven with jazz elements. “Sonata” by Thomas Beimel sounds in conjunction with the Molzer organ. This silent work consists of subtle gestures and overlays - inviting contemplative listening. In a contrasting, very powerful way the composition “und endlich der tanz” [and finally the dance] by Ruta Paidere reflects archaic Latvian musical traditions.
References: Akkordeon Akut Festival Halle, Hochschule für Kirchenmusik Herford und Leipzig, Sächsischer Musikbund, Symposium Kirchenmusik & Orgelakademie Stade, Festival Orfeo / Organeum, Orgelstadt Hamburg, Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg, Festival blurred edges, TONALi, forumJETZTmusik, Internationale Orgelakademie Göteborg, Kultursommer Rheinland-Pfalz, BRANDNEU europäisches Festival für neueste Orgelmusik 2022 in St. Martin Kassel, Orgelpark Amsterdam a.o.
Eva Zöllner, one of the most active accordionists of her generation, is dedicated to contemporary music. As internationally acclaimed soloist she appears in projects ranging from experimental solo performances to concerts with renowned ensembles all around the world. She has premiered more than 250 new works for her instrument. www.eva-zoellner.de
Organ soloist Kerstin Petersen performs internationally and offers innovative facets and playing techniques of the queen of instruments to the audience. Her main focus lies on new organ solo and chamber music, for which she collaborates closely with composers from all over the world.
www.kerstin-petersen.org
Program example: ROOTS & CHANGES presented in Orgelpark Amsterdam 2023:
• Improvisation
• Oxana Omelchuk (*1975) ...die Bäume wachsen in den Himmel nicht… (2009) for accordion and organ commissioned by the Duo A&O for the Mendelssohn anniversary
• Improvisation
• Ruta Paidere (*1977) und endlich der tanz (2019/2021) for accordion an organ 1. Unablässig, wie ein Drehtanz 2. sehr rhythmisch, grob 3. elegant, mechanisch. quasi ein alter Hoftanz dedicated to the Duo A&O soundcloud „und endlich der Tanz“
• Thomas Beimel (1967-2016) Sonata communio (2007) for accordion and organpositiv
• Improvisation
• Knut Müller (*1963) NiN-LiL (2011) for accordion an organ inspired by Giovanni Gabrieli, Canzon Sol Sol La Sol Fa Mi a 8 - dedicated to the Duo A&O soundcloud "NiN-LiL“
📧 Further information, e.g. programme examples from J. S. Bach to Lina Tonia, can be sent to you - please feel very free to contact Kerstin Petersen by e-mail (see CONTACT). Booking enquiries can also be made via this e-path.
See also REPERTOIRE DOWNLOAD
Duo ORGAN meets GONG
ADA NAMANI GONG
KERSTIN PETERSEN ORGAN
DE
Organ meets Gong
MEDITATIVE SOUNDS - UNCHARTED TERRAIN
An exceptional duo: virtuoso organ sounds and trance-like sound instruments lead into a sound wave meditation.
Ada Namani (gong) and Kerstin Petersen (organ) present musical improvisations and masterpieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, Arvo Pärt, Eva-Maria Houben as well as works recently composed for their duo Organ meets Gong - such as "Nebelkammern" by Ruth Wiesenfeld (Berlin) and "aufstieg.entspannung" by Alyssa Aska (Graz).
YouTube
Recording of the live concert 13.06.2021 with duo ORGAN meets GONG: Ada Namani (gong) and Kerstin Petersen on the Woehl organ of St Paul's Church Fockbek / Schleswig Holstein.
The breath and sounds of the Woehl organ and the sun gong merge and melt together in improvisations. The Hamburg artists also present music by Arvo Pärt, Johann Sebastian Bach, Alyssa Aska and Paul Hofhaimer. Precious moments of calm, vitality and spirituality can be experienced...
The Hamburg Artists Ada Namani and Kerstin Petersen started working together as the duo Organ meets Gong in 2013. Their music brings together pipe organ and gong, both instruments that originate from ancient Eastern and Western traditions.
From powerful to quiet, sometimes melted, sometimes individual, the organ, gong, singing bowls and monochord complement each other to create a special kind of sound experience. These sounds get under your skin, uplift and resonate for a long time…
With meditative, classical and trance-like sounds, they transport the concert audience into a meditation of sound waves. Since 2022, they have also been presenting the gong for the first time in combination with contemporary organ music composed especially for their duo line-up.
The duo Organ meets Gong has been engaged by, among others, the Hauptkirche St. Petri Hamburg, Stiftskirche Kloster Loccum, St. Clemens Nebel / Amrum, Kirche der Stille Hamburg, Kulturkirche Köln, Altmünsterkirche Mainz, Kloster Hünfeld, Christinae Kyrka Göteborg SE, Oude Helenakerk Aalten and Orgelpark Amsterdam NL.
Ada Namani * Devinderjit (gong) leads gong trances, festivals and concerts and is a trainer for white sound gong meditation. For more than 20 years she has been working with sound instruments for deep meditation. Ada Namani also uses sound instruments therapeutically as a practitioner for psychotherapy. www.adanamani.de
Kerstin Petersen (organ) is a freelance concert organist. Her repertoire covers all eras and styles, including contemporary music. She performs as a soloist in churches and concert halls throughout Europe. She explores new facets and playing styles of the "queen of instruments", particularly in collaboration with composers of new music. www.kerstin-petersen.org
📧Further programme examples from the Middle Ages to contemporary music can be sent to you - please feel very free to contact Kerstin Petersen by e-mail (see CONTACT) - also for CD and booking enquiries.
See also REPERTOIRE DOWNLOAD
The Hamburg Artists Ada Namani and Kerstin Petersen started working together as the duo Organ meets Gong in 2013. Their music brings together pipe organ and gong, both instruments that originate from ancient Eastern and Western traditions.
From powerful to quiet, sometimes melted, sometimes individual, the organ, gong, singing bowls and monochord complement each other to create a special kind of sound experience. These sounds get under your skin, uplift and resonate for a long time…
With meditative, classical and trance-like sounds, they transport the concert audience into a meditation of sound waves. Since 2022, they have also been presenting the gong for the first time in combination with contemporary organ music composed especially for their duo line-up.
The duo Organ meets Gong has been engaged by, among others, the Hauptkirche St. Petri Hamburg, Stiftskirche Kloster Loccum, St. Clemens Nebel / Amrum, Kirche der Stille Hamburg, Kulturkirche Köln, Altmünsterkirche Mainz, Kloster Hünfeld, Christinae Kyrka Göteborg SE, Oude Helenakerk Aalten and Orgelpark Amsterdam NL.
Ada Namani * Devinderjit (gong) leads gong trances, festivals and concerts and is a trainer for white sound gong meditation. For more than 20 years she has been working with sound instruments for deep meditation. Ada Namani also uses sound instruments therapeutically as a practitioner for psychotherapy. www.adanamani.de
Kerstin Petersen (organ) is a freelance concert organist. Her repertoire covers all eras and styles, including contemporary music. She performs as a soloist in churches and concert halls throughout Europe. She explores new facets and playing styles of the "queen of instruments", particularly in collaboration with composers of new music. www.kerstin-petersen.org
📧Further programme examples from the Middle Ages to contemporary music can be sent to you - please feel very free to contact Kerstin Petersen by e-mail (see CONTACT) - also for CD and booking enquiries.
See also REPERTOIRE DOWNLOAD
Duo DRUMS & PIPES
LIN CHEN PERCUSSION
KERSTIN PETERSEN ORGAN
Duo DRUMS & PIPES - YOUNG SOUND ART FROM EUROPE AND ASIA
The percussionist Lin Chen and the organist Kerstin Petersen combine playful lightness, virtuosity and an almost magical intensity of sound in their duo DRUMS & PIPES.
Founded in Hamburg in 2022, the duo moves between European and Asian musical styles and performs spectacular sound creations for percussion instruments and organ pipes. A special focus is on repertoire by female composers, newly written for the ensemble, e.g. as part of their ensemble sponsorship by Musikfonds e.V. The duo also performs rediscovered, rarely performed works.
YouTube
Live Recording of Rikako Watanabe (*1964) Mikoshi (2023) pour orgue et percussion 1. Prelude pour Matsuri, 2. Cortège de Mikoshi
Duo DRUMS & PIPES: Lin Chen (Perkussion) and Kerstin Petersen (Orgel) from Festival Concert Altonale and blurred edges 18. June 2023 Lutherkirche Hamburg Bahrenfeld GERMANY
Duo DRUMS & PIPES - YOUNG SOUND ART FROM EUROPE AND ASIA
The percussionist Lin Chen and the organist Kerstin Petersen combine playful lightness, virtuosity and an almost magical intensity of sound in their duo DRUMS & PIPES.
Founded in Hamburg in 2022, the duo moves between European and Asian musical styles and performs spectacular sound creations for percussion instruments and organ pipes. A special focus is on repertoire by female composers, newly written for the ensemble, e.g. as part of their ensemble sponsorship by Musikfonds e.V. The duo also performs rediscovered, rarely performed works.
YouTube
Live Recording of Rikako Watanabe (*1964) Mikoshi (2023) pour orgue et percussion 1. Prelude pour Matsuri, 2. Cortège de Mikoshi
Duo DRUMS & PIPES: Lin Chen (Perkussion) and Kerstin Petersen (Orgel) from Festival Concert Altonale and blurred edges 18. June 2023 Lutherkirche Hamburg Bahrenfeld GERMANY
Duo DRUMS & PIPES: Kerstin Petersen performs internationally as an organ soloist and is a source of ideas for innovative organ projects. Lin Chen's familiarity with the Chinese drum, marimba, log drum, singing bowls, gongs and Western ballet allows the rhythms of East and West to merge naturally.
A special focus is on repertoire by female composers, newly written for the ensemble, e.g. as part of their ensemble sponsorship by Musikfonds e.V.. The duo also performs rediscovered, rarely performed works.
DRUMS & PIPES likes combining performance, literature and new media in its concert programmes. As part of the Ensemble Scholarship of the Music Fund of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, several innovative compositions for percussion and organ have recently been created in co-creation with Ruth Wiesenfeld (Berlin) and Alyssa Aska (Graz). Rikako Watanabe (Tokyo / Paris) dedicated her work “Mikoshi” to Duo DRUMS & PIPES, which is inspired by the traditional music of her home country Japan. DRUMS & PIPES gave the world premiere on 16 June 2023 in the Dresden Frauenkirche in collaboration with the Staatsschauspiel Dresden.
In 2023, Duo DRUMS & PIPES also performed the experimental programme "Mikoshi boiling away" in Hamburg, invited by the blurred edges festival for contemporary music and in the main programme of the festival Altonale. In 2024, the duo is engaged by the Philharmonie Mercatorhalle Duisburg for the concert "Toccata 1", among others, as well as with the event "Das Signal" in collaboration with Ada Namani (Gong) by Orgelpark Amsterdam NL, where also their first album with label genuin is in preparation.
Program example:
DANCE OF THE DAWN - colourful soundscapes for Chinese drums, marimba and 2000 pipes
Duo DRUMS & PIPES - Lin Chen (percussion) and Kerstin Petersen (organ)
• William Albright (1944 -1998) Fanfare / Echo for Organ solo [Organ Book Ill]
• Alyssa Aska (*1985) aufstieg.entspannung (2021) for percussion and organ dedicated to Duo Drums & Pipes
YouTube »aufstieg.entspannung« Duo DRUMS & PIPES
• William Albright (1944 -1998) Nocturne for Organ solo [Organ Book Ill]
• Leander Kaiser (*1961) Black Sphinx for marimba solo
• Improvisation percussion and organ
• Rikako Watanabe (*1964) Racines du vent / Wind Roots (2024) pour orgue et percussion: L'arbre sacré (The Sacred Tree), Et la Pluie pénètre la Terre (And the Rain Penetrates the Earth) and Danse de l'aube (Dance of the Dawn) Commissioned by Radio France premiere 04 April 2024
• Charles Hoag (1931-2018) The Kraken (2000) for Organ Pedals and Large Tam-Tam after the poem The Kraken (1830) by Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892)
• Rikako Watanabe (*1964) Mikoshi (2023) pour orgue et percussion: 1. Prelude pour Matsuri, 2. Cortège de Mikoshi dedicated to Duo Drums & Pipes
About the programme DANCE OF THE DAWN / TANZ DER MORGENRÖTE:
The renowned Hamburg duo DRUMS & PIPES presents a "firework display" of European, American and Asian music. The percussionist Lin Chen and concert organist Kerstin Petersen use Chinese drums, marimba and 2,000 organ pipes to showcase the diversity of their instruments.
The programme focuses on two works that were recently composed for Duo DRUMS & PIPES: "aufstieg.entspannung" by Alyssa Aska (Graz) - based on a spectral analysis of the gong - and "Mikoshi" by Rikako Watanabe (Paris) - inspired by the traditional Japanese music that is played during the procession of the summer Matsuri festivals.
Mikoshi is a portable replica of a Shinto shrine that can weigh up to a tonne! To give the bearers of this heavy sacred object strength, the procession is accompanied by small Japanese drums (Taïko) and energising calls: "Wa-Shoï! Wa-Shoï!" In the second part of the composition, the rhythm "dotted 8th-16th notes" is reminiscent of these Japanese drums.
Another work by the Japanese-French composer Rikako Watanabe is "Racines du vent" (Wind Roots), which was commissioned by Radio France in 2024. The movements are: L'arbre sacré (The Sacred Tree), Et la Pluie pénètre la Terre (And the Rain Penetrates the Earth) and Danse de l'aube (Dance of the Dawn).
The two performers also appear as soloists: Kerstin Petersen plays "Nocturne" and "Fanfare" by the American composer William Albright. His fanfare combines medieval motifs with lively jazz motifs in the full work of the organ. The Nocturne features delicate atmospheric sound gestures reminiscent of moths hovering almost silently in the twilight.
Lin Chen interprets "Black Sphinx" by Leander Kaiser. Sphinxes (guardians) are considered dangerous magical creatures with a lion's body, a human head and, depending on their gender, feathered wings. The black sphinx is said to have extraordinary intelligence and characteristics; it likes to pose almost unsolvable riddles and can bring misfortune or good fortune.
Chicago-born composer Charles Hoag makes "The Kraken", the mythical sea monster, rise in virtuoso sounds for solo organ pedal and tam-tam. The work is based on the poem The Kraken (1830) by Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892). It begins with very low, barely audible frequencies and builds up to a thunderous frenzy in both instruments until the kraken sinks back into the abyssal sea...
A special highlight of the Duo DRUMS & PIPES programme is the improvisation, which naturally fuses the rhythms of East and West in the interplay between the percussion instruments and the majestic organ.
The artists: The percussionist Lin Chen performs with numerous ensembles and orchestras such as the International Mahler Orchestra in China, Japan, Hong Kong and the concert halls of major European cities. In Hamburg, she is celebrated as a performer at concerts organised by NDR, Opera Stabile's Black Box, the John Cage Festival and Klang Werk Tage. The exceptional artist has also performed in the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra's Stars of Tomorrow series at the Laeiszhalle under Muhai Tang. Lin Chen is currently performing as a soloist in Tan Dun's Water Concerto together with the Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra at the Philharmonie Mercatorhalle Duisburg under Axel Kober and in numerous concerts at the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie. www.lin-chen-percussion.com
The Organist Kerstin Petersen performs internationally as a soloist. Her focus is on organ music in unusual constellations, which she initiates and performs in collaboration with composers from all over the world. She has received concert invitations from the Hauptkirche St. Nikolai Hamburg, TONALi, frequenz_, Festival BRANDNEU, International Organ Academy Gothenburg, Orgelpark Amsterdam, among others. Kerstin Petersen is also active as an editor of new organ works and as an idea generator and artistic director of innovative concert projects, for example she realised Nur einmal glücklich sein - Orgelmusik von Komponistinnen. In 2024, she is involved as a performer at the opening concert of the Musik 21 Festival and as a juror for the composition competition. www.kerstin-petersen.org
📧Further programme examples from William Albright to the latest contemporary music can be sent to you - please feel very free to contact Kerstin Petersen by e-mail (see CONTACT).
Also see PDF in GERMAN with Posters
Duo DRUMS & PIPES: Kerstin Petersen performs internationally as an organ soloist and is a source of ideas for innovative organ projects. Lin Chen's familiarity with the Chinese drum, marimba, log drum, singing bowls, gongs and Western ballet allows the rhythms of East and West to merge naturally.
A special focus is on repertoire by female composers, newly written for the ensemble, e.g. as part of their ensemble sponsorship by Musikfonds e.V.. The duo also performs rediscovered, rarely performed works.
DRUMS & PIPES likes combining performance, literature and new media in its concert programmes. As part of the Ensemble Scholarship of the Music Fund of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, several innovative compositions for percussion and organ have recently been created in co-creation with Ruth Wiesenfeld (Berlin) and Alyssa Aska (Graz). Rikako Watanabe (Tokyo / Paris) dedicated her work “Mikoshi” to Duo DRUMS & PIPES, which is inspired by the traditional music of her home country Japan. DRUMS & PIPES gave the world premiere on 16 June 2023 in the Dresden Frauenkirche in collaboration with the Staatsschauspiel Dresden.
In 2023, Duo DRUMS & PIPES also performed the experimental programme "Mikoshi boiling away" in Hamburg, invited by the blurred edges festival for contemporary music and in the main programme of the festival Altonale. In 2024, the duo is engaged by the Philharmonie Mercatorhalle Duisburg for the concert "Toccata 1", among others, as well as with the event "Das Signal" in collaboration with Ada Namani (Gong) by Orgelpark Amsterdam NL, where also their first album with label genuin is in preparation.
Program example:
DANCE OF THE DAWN - colourful soundscapes for Chinese drums, marimba and 2000 pipes
Duo DRUMS & PIPES - Lin Chen (percussion) and Kerstin Petersen (organ)
• William Albright (1944 -1998) Fanfare / Echo for Organ solo [Organ Book Ill]
• Alyssa Aska (*1985) aufstieg.entspannung (2021) for percussion and organ dedicated to Duo Drums & Pipes
YouTube »aufstieg.entspannung« Duo DRUMS & PIPES
• William Albright (1944 -1998) Nocturne for Organ solo [Organ Book Ill]
• Leander Kaiser (*1961) Black Sphinx for marimba solo
• Improvisation percussion and organ
• Rikako Watanabe (*1964) Racines du vent / Wind Roots (2024) pour orgue et percussion: L'arbre sacré (The Sacred Tree), Et la Pluie pénètre la Terre (And the Rain Penetrates the Earth) and Danse de l'aube (Dance of the Dawn) Commissioned by Radio France premiere 04 April 2024
• Charles Hoag (1931-2018) The Kraken (2000) for Organ Pedals and Large Tam-Tam after the poem The Kraken (1830) by Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892)
• Rikako Watanabe (*1964) Mikoshi (2023) pour orgue et percussion: 1. Prelude pour Matsuri, 2. Cortège de Mikoshi dedicated to Duo Drums & Pipes
About the programme DANCE OF THE DAWN / TANZ DER MORGENRÖTE:
The renowned Hamburg duo DRUMS & PIPES presents a "firework display" of European, American and Asian music. The percussionist Lin Chen and concert organist Kerstin Petersen use Chinese drums, marimba and 2,000 organ pipes to showcase the diversity of their instruments.
The programme focuses on two works that were recently composed for Duo DRUMS & PIPES: "aufstieg.entspannung" by Alyssa Aska (Graz) - based on a spectral analysis of the gong - and "Mikoshi" by Rikako Watanabe (Paris) - inspired by the traditional Japanese music that is played during the procession of the summer Matsuri festivals.
Mikoshi is a portable replica of a Shinto shrine that can weigh up to a tonne! To give the bearers of this heavy sacred object strength, the procession is accompanied by small Japanese drums (Taïko) and energising calls: "Wa-Shoï! Wa-Shoï!" In the second part of the composition, the rhythm "dotted 8th-16th notes" is reminiscent of these Japanese drums.
Another work by the Japanese-French composer Rikako Watanabe is "Racines du vent" (Wind Roots), which was commissioned by Radio France in 2024. The movements are: L'arbre sacré (The Sacred Tree), Et la Pluie pénètre la Terre (And the Rain Penetrates the Earth) and Danse de l'aube (Dance of the Dawn).
The two performers also appear as soloists: Kerstin Petersen plays "Nocturne" and "Fanfare" by the American composer William Albright. His fanfare combines medieval motifs with lively jazz motifs in the full work of the organ. The Nocturne features delicate atmospheric sound gestures reminiscent of moths hovering almost silently in the twilight.
Lin Chen interprets "Black Sphinx" by Leander Kaiser. Sphinxes (guardians) are considered dangerous magical creatures with a lion's body, a human head and, depending on their gender, feathered wings. The black sphinx is said to have extraordinary intelligence and characteristics; it likes to pose almost unsolvable riddles and can bring misfortune or good fortune.
Chicago-born composer Charles Hoag makes "The Kraken", the mythical sea monster, rise in virtuoso sounds for solo organ pedal and tam-tam. The work is based on the poem The Kraken (1830) by Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892). It begins with very low, barely audible frequencies and builds up to a thunderous frenzy in both instruments until the kraken sinks back into the abyssal sea...
A special highlight of the Duo DRUMS & PIPES programme is the improvisation, which naturally fuses the rhythms of East and West in the interplay between the percussion instruments and the majestic organ.
The artists: The percussionist Lin Chen performs with numerous ensembles and orchestras such as the International Mahler Orchestra in China, Japan, Hong Kong and the concert halls of major European cities. In Hamburg, she is celebrated as a performer at concerts organised by NDR, Opera Stabile's Black Box, the John Cage Festival and Klang Werk Tage. The exceptional artist has also performed in the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra's Stars of Tomorrow series at the Laeiszhalle under Muhai Tang. Lin Chen is currently performing as a soloist in Tan Dun's Water Concerto together with the Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra at the Philharmonie Mercatorhalle Duisburg under Axel Kober and in numerous concerts at the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie. www.lin-chen-percussion.com
The Organist Kerstin Petersen performs internationally as a soloist. Her focus is on organ music in unusual constellations, which she initiates and performs in collaboration with composers from all over the world. She has received concert invitations from the Hauptkirche St. Nikolai Hamburg, TONALi, frequenz_, Festival BRANDNEU, International Organ Academy Gothenburg, Orgelpark Amsterdam, among others. Kerstin Petersen is also active as an editor of new organ works and as an idea generator and artistic director of innovative concert projects, for example she realised Nur einmal glücklich sein - Orgelmusik von Komponistinnen. In 2024, she is involved as a performer at the opening concert of the Musik 21 Festival and as a juror for the composition competition. www.kerstin-petersen.org
📧Further programme examples from William Albright to the latest contemporary music can be sent to you - please feel very free to contact Kerstin Petersen by e-mail (see CONTACT).
Also see PDF in GERMAN with Posters
DISCOGRAPHY
2026 RUTH ZECHLIN RELOADED
You‘re heartily invited to seven concerts in the series Auf der Zinne^ - neuer Klang! 2026 under the motto
RUTH ZECHLIN RELOADED
To mark the 100th birthday of Ruth Zechlin (1926-2007), who was an extraordinary composer and organist, 20 Artists will be performing her exciting, rarely heard music in Hamburg:
RUTH ZECHLIN RELOADED in der Reihe Auf der Zinne^ - neuer Klang!
1. Konzert WIRKLICHKEIT UND TRAUM 19.04.2026 19 Uhr Lutherkirche Bahrenfeld
Programm:
Ruth Zechlin (1926-2007)
Wirklichkeit und Traum für Orgel (1. Fassung 1982, Uraufführung)
Auftragswerk des Berliner Sinfonieorchesters für die Orgelweihe im Berliner Konzerthaus
Traum und Wirklichkeit für Orgel (2. Fassung 1983)
Synthese für Orgel und Schlagwerk (1986) Komponiert für die Wiener Festwochen
Ruhe und Bewegung für 2 Orgeln (1996)
Improvisation über Ruth Zechlin 5-stimmiger unendlicher Kanon (1996)
Sebastian Zaczek (*2002) murmeln (2024) für 4 Musiker:innen mit Glasmurmeln
Mitwirkende:
Perkussion: Cornelia Monske, Glasmurmeln, Komposition: Sebastian Zaczek, Orgel: Benjamin Saupe, Orgel, Leitung: Kerstin Petersen, Dramaturgie: Dr. Ellen Freyberg
Wir weisen freundlich darauf hin, dass während des Konzerts Aufnahmen gemacht werden, die im Internet und auf Social Media veröffentlicht werden können. Wenn Sie damit nicht einverstanden sind, bitten wir darum, sich bei uns per E-Mail zu melden: kerstin-petersen@live.de. Herzlichen Dank!
fff>ppp - Hinweis zur Lautstärke dieses Konzertes: einige Werke erfordern eine große dynamische Bandbreite von sehr laut bis sehr leise. Bitte achten Sie auf Ihr Gehör, z.B. durch Hörschutz oder Bedecken der Ohren mit Ihren Händen.
Zum Programm:
Ruth Zechlin wurde 1926 in Sachsen geboren und war eine der bedeutendsten Komponistinnen ihrer Zeit. Sie schrieb zahlreiche Werke in unterschiedlichsten Besetzungen: Orchester- und Ensemblewerke mit und ohne Gesangsstimme, Opern, Hörspielmusiken, Ballette sowie Chor- und Solowerke.
Die Orgel nahm in ihrem kompositorischen Schaffen einen besonderen Stellenwert ein. Als Orgel-Interpretin war sie international gefragt und spielte u.a. regelmäßig Uraufführungen ihrer solistischen und kammermusikalischen Orgelwerke. Anlässlich des 100. Geburtstags Ruth Zechlins widmet sich Auf der Zinne^ - neuer Klang! dem Schaffen dieser außergewöhnlichen Künstlerin.
Prägend wurde für Ruth Zechlin schon in jungen Jahren die Begegnung mit der Musik Johann Sebastian Bachs, mit dessen Musik sie sich ihr Leben lang auseinandersetzte. In der Entwicklung ihres unverwechselbaren Personalstils zwischen traditionellen kontrapunktischen und freitonalen Elementen wurde Ruth Zechlin z.B. durch Johann Nepomuk David, György Ligeti, Krzysztof Penderecki, Hans Werner Henze und Witold Lutoslawski angeregt.
Zechlins Werke zeichnen sich durch stilistische Souveränität und Prägnanz aus. In vielschichtiger Dramaturgie vereinen sie größtmögliche Gegensätze zu einer nahbaren, klangsinnlichen Polyphonie.
Für ihr künstlerisches Schaffen ist Ruth Zechlin vielfach geehrt worden, u.a. 1996 mit dem Komponistinnenpreis der Stadt Heidelberg, dem Bundesverdienstkreuz 1. Klasse (1997) und dem Bayerischen Maximiliansorden für Wissenschaft und Kunst (2001). Im Jahr 2007 starb die Künstlerin in ihrer Wahlheimat München.
Wirklichkeit und Traum für Orgel entstand im Jahr 1982 für die Orgelweihe im Berliner Konzerthaus und stellt zwei Klangwelten nebeneinander. Im ersten, “Wirklichkeit” genannten Abschnitt dominieren dichte Cluster, aus denen sich farbenreiche einstimmige Tonfolgen entwickeln, während im Abschnitt “Traum” zarte Einzeltöne zu traumartigen Klangflächen verschmelzen. Das Werk erlebt im heutigen Konzert seine Uraufführung.
Das 1983 komponierte Orgelsolo-Stück Traum und Wirklichkeit knüpft durch die Gegenüberstellung zweier Sphären an das ein Jahr zuvor komponierte Werk an, jedoch ist die Anordnung vertauscht und der Abschnitt „Wirklichkeit“ ist neu konzipiert. Von Clustern „befreit“ bewegt sich die „neue Wirklichkeit“ in gemäßigteren Bahnen.
Synthese für Orgel und Schlagwerk ist ein Auftragswerk der Wiener Festwochen und wurde am 24. Juli 1987 uraufgeführt. Das Werk besteht aus drei Sätzen. Im ersten Satz kommt die Orgel solistisch zum Einsatz, der zweite Satz ist dem Solo-Schlagzeug gewidmet, und im dritten Satz agieren beide Instrumente in “Synthese”: die musikalischen Elemente, die im isolierten Zustand als „These“ (Orgel) und „Antithese“ (Schlagwerk) erklangen, verbinden sich zu einem komplexen Ganzen, das die Elemente vereinigt und überraschend Neues hervorbringt.
Anlässlich ihres 70. Geburtstags im Jahr 1996 komponierte Ruth Zechlin Ruhe und Bewegung für 2 Orgeln, ihr einziges Stück in dieser Duo-Besetzung. Die Organistin Kerstin Petersen schreibt: „In ihrem Werk lässt Ruth Zechlin ‘Ruhe’ und ‘Bewegung’ in einem dynamischen und kontrastreichen Dialog der beiden Orgeln agieren. Sie schafft eine ‘brillante Meditation’, in der die gegensätzlichen Pole aufeinander bezogen sind und sich permanent durchdringen. Im Verlaufe des Werkes variieren und vervielfachen sie ihre Kraft. In der Begegnung der Gegenpole ‘Ruhe’ und ‘Bewegung’ entstehen neue klangliche Qualitäten und Synergien.”
Ruth Zechlins Vorliebe für Polyphonie spiegelt auch die Miniatur 5-stimmiger unendlicher Kanon wider, die sie als Neujahrsgruß für ein „friedvolles und vernunftreiches Jahr 1996“ im Bekanntenkreis verschickte. Der Text des Kanons lautet: „Glück und Segen, Freude dazu!“
murmeln für 4 Musiker*innen mit Glasmurmeln ist eine Komposition des jungen Hamburger Komponisten Sebastian Zaczek. Über die Entstehung des Werkes teilt er mit: „murmeln habe ich recht kurzfristig an zwei Tagen im Frühjahr 2024 geschrieben. (…) Als Kind hatte ich unter anderem eine Faszination für modulare Murmelbahnen, daher liegt bei mir immer noch eine kleine Dose mit Glasmurmeln herum, und diese haben sich dafür als die perfekten Instrumente herausgestellt. So wurde das Stück für mich auch zu einer spielerischen Auseinandersetzung mit Kindheitserinnerungen und gewissermaßen auch mit deren Klangwelten.”
Biografien:
Cornelia Monske arbeitete mit den großen deutschen Rundfunk- und Fernsehanstalten zusammen und ist seit 2023 "Artist in Residence" beim Sinfonieorchester in Shenzhen in China, wo sie 2024 die Uraufführung des Schlagzeugkonzerts:" Five Elements" von Fredrik Schwenk spielte. Soloabende gab sie u.a. in der Alten Oper Frankfurt, im Staatstheater Darmstadt, ferner in Hamburg sowie in Helsinki (Finnland), Altea (Spanien), Ljubljana (Slowenien), Peking, Chengdu, Shenzhen (China) und in Texas (USA). Mit der Philharmonia Hungarica unter der Leitung von George Alexander Albrecht spielte sie 1994 in Marl die Uraufführung von Tilo Medek: „Konzert für Schlagzeug und Orchester“ und unternahm mit diesem 1995 eine Russlandtournee. Weitere Konzerte mit Orchester gab sie im Schauspielhaus Berlin, der Beethovenhalle Bonn, in der Jahrhunderthalle Hoechst, im Staatstheater Darmstadt, in der Laeiszhalle Hamburg und im Rosengarten Mannheim. 2007 wurde sie zur Professorin an die Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg berufen.
Sebastian Zaczek (* 2002 in Hamburg) studierte an der Universität Hamburg Informatik und seit dem Wintersemester 2024/25 im Hauptfach Komposition bei Gordon Kampe an der HMT Hamburg. Noch während des Informatikstudiums wurde Sebastian mehrfacher Bundespreisträger des Bundeswettbewerbs Jugend Komponiert, 2024 folgte in dem Zusammenhang ein Kompositionsstipendium der Jeunesses Musicales Deutschland im Rahmen des Projektes „NEUES ZEUG – Musik aus dem Jetzt für junge Entdecker*innen“. Zudem erhielt Sebastian einen zweiten Preis beim Gustav Mahler Kompositionspreis 2024, sowie Kompositionsaufträge für das Musik21Festival „Übergänge“ und Hamburg Contemporary 2025. Von 2022 bis 2024 war er Mitglied im Juryteam für die „Follow My Score“-Ausschreibungen von Score Follower, einer Organisation, welche sich insbesondere für den breiten Zugang zu Neuer Musik und zeitgenössischen Kompositionen im Internet einsetzt.
Benjamin Saupe (* 1983 Wolgast) wuchs in Ahlbeck auf der Insel Usedom auf. Bereits in seiner Jugend erhielt er Unterricht in Klavier, Orgel und Querflöte. Früh zeigte sich seine besondere Leidenschaft für Improvisation und Komposition. Nach dem Abitur am Demminer Musikgymnasium studierte er Kirchenmusik am Institut für Kirchenmusik und Musikwissenschaft in der Hansestadt Greifswald. Im Anschluss absolvierte er ein künstlerisches Aufbaustudium im Fach Orgelimprovisation bei Prof. Dr. Matthias Schneider und Johannes Gebhardt in Greifswald, das er mit Auszeichnung abschloss. Seit 2013 ist Benjamin Saupe künstlerischer Leiter der Singakademie Stralsund und Mitglied des OPERNALE-Ensembles. Von 2016 bis 2022 wirkte er als Kirchenmusiker an der Heiligen-Geist-Kirche Rostock. Am Kirchenmusikinstitut der Universität Greifswald.ist er außerdem als Dozent für Orgel, Orgelimprovisation, Popularmusik und Generalbass tätig. Im Greifswalder Raum tritt Benjamin Saupe insbesondere als Komponist von Bühnenwerken hervor.
Kerstin Petersen konzertiert international als Solistin und lässt die „Königin der Instrumente“ in überraschenden Konstellationen neu erstrahlen. Konzerteinladungen erhielt sie u.a. von Orgelakademie Göteborg, Orgelpark Amsterdam, Hauptkirche St. Nikolai Hamburg, TONALi, Festival BRANDNEU, Mercatorhalle Duisburg und Musik 21 Festival Niedersachsen, wo sie 2024 auch Jurorin des Kompositionswettbewerbs war. Als Herausgeberin engagiert sich Kerstin Petersen für die Veröffentlichung zeitgenössischer Partituren, zuletzt in Zusammenarbeit mit den Verlagen Certosa, Neue Musik Berlin und Schott Music. Seit 2025 leitet sie die Konzertreihe Auf der Zinne^ - neuer Klang!, die sich selten zu hörender Orgel-Kammermusik widmet. Ihre CD SiGNALE (2025, Genuin) wurde für den Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik nominiert. Gemeinsam mit Ada Namani (Gong) und Lenka Zupkova (Violine) wurde sie 2025 mit dem RESONANZEN Konzeptpreis für Musikvermittlung von VISION KIRCHENMUSIK und der Hanns-Lilje-Stiftung ausgezeichnet.
Das Jahresprogramm RUTH ZECHLIN RELOADED wird dankenswerterweise gefördert durch Musikfonds e.V., den Beauftragten der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien, die Mathias-Tantau-Stiftung und private Unterstützer:innen. Dank an unsere Kooperationspartner: Luthergemeinde Bahrenfeld, Pauluskirche Altona, GEDOK Hamburg, Verband für aktuelle Musik Hamburg, Festival Blurred edges, Altonale, Altonaer Vielfaltswoche, Friedensdekade 2026 und Orgelstadt Hamburg.
Free admission: Thanks to the support of Musikfonds e.V., the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, the Luther and Paulus Church Community, Vamh and GEDOK Hamburg, as well as other generous sponsors, the concerts can take place with free admission. To cover the remaining deficit, we kindly ask for donations.
Foto Ruth Zechlin ©️Bundesstiftung Aufarbeitung, Barbara Köppe, 2382_2
Ruth Zechlin 100
June 20, 2026: Ruth Zechlin 100
Radio broadcast Deutschlandfunk “Atelier neuer Musik” with Klaus Gehrke, Prof. Dr. Nina Noeske, and Kerstin Petersen
available online for only a few days
SiGNALE CD (2025)
Booklet / Order:
SiGNALE is the new recording of the Hamburg ensemble DRUMS & PIPES in conjunction with GONG. The Hamburg-based ensemble is a pioneer in exploring extraordinary repertoire and initiating numerous new compositions for its unique line-up. The music by female composers from Europe and Japan enthuses with beauty and inspiration. It is to be released as a high-quality recording on the label genuin.
Performers: Lin Chen (percussion), Kerstin Petersen (organ), Ada Namani (gong) in collaboration with Cornelius Gebert (reading).
Music: by Alyssa Aska, Lotte Backes, Siegrid Ernst, Ana Szilágyi, Rikako Watanabe and Ruth Wiesenfeld
Date: The release of the recording is scheduled for 4 April 2025 - by Label genuin. An editorial article with a review will be published in the international magazine ‘organ’ by Schott Music, issue 1/2025, followed by several release concerts.
For more information you are invited to write Kerstin Petersen via contact formular.
Foto of drawing by Ruth Wiesenfeld©️Ruth Wiesenfeld, Foto Ada Namani and Kerstin Petersen©️Elke Zimmermann, Foto Lin Chen©️Gerhard Kühne
Kerstin Petersen: Music Outreach – Reflections and Ideas from Organ Practice
organ – Journal for the Organ | SCHOTT MUSIC
Kerstin Petersen: Music Outreach – Reflections and Ideas from Organ Practice
Published in: organ – Journal for the Organ 2025/01, page 28
The current landscape of cultural outreach offers such a rich and diverse array of opportunities that the organ and church music scene can draw upon a wealth of possibilities. Kerstin Petersen presents specific outreach projects developed recently in Hamburg and Lübeck in collaboration with various fellow musicians and partners. Some of these ideas might well meet with a positive response elsewhere, too…
read more (DE]
Gegenwärtig gibt es in der Kulturvermittlung ein so reichhaltiges und vielfältiges Angebot, dass die Orgel- und Kirchenmusikszene aus dem Vollen schöpfen kann. Kerstin Petersen stellt einzelne Vermittlungsprojekte vor, die in jüngster Zeit in Zusammenarbeit mit verschiedenen Musikerkolleginnen und Kooperationspartnern in Hamburg und Lübeck entstanden sind. Die eine oder andere Idee mag auch an anderem Ort positive Resonanz finden …
» Kerstin Petersen succeeds in capturing the spirit of the works. In the solidity of a magnificent interpretation, the full power and grandeur of the creations comes into its own. «
Contact
KERSTIN PETERSEN
