ensemble in transition
Contemporary music, deaf poetry and dance
About ensemble in transition
ensemble in transition is a professional ensemble for contemporary music, deaf poetry and dance that was founded in 2021 in Frankfurt am Main by flutist and ensemble member Désirée Hall. This hearing-deaf four artists ensemble develops unusual performance concepts and opens up new artistic spaces using transmedial dialogue. With the cooperation of young composers have been developed music performances that are equally suitable for hearing and deaf people. Contemporary music and the art form of deaf poetry are within this artistic concept catalyzed each. In their performances, strongly influenced by experimental music theater, the artists explore aesthetic language and aesthetic movement together by playing and reinterpreting at the same time. Movement follows music – but music also follows movement. These two forms of art are not longer separate entities, but affect each other. With this unique artistic concept, ensemble in transition would also like to stimulate intercultural dialogue and overcome social boundaries.
The ensemble reached the final of the Köster Prize 2023 as part of the Realtime - International Festival for New Music.
Désirée Hall
Flute
Désirée Hall is the initiator and project director of ensemble in transition, which she founded in 2021. She studied flute, opera and concert singing at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts. The renowned Master in Specialized Music Performance/Contemporary Music at the Basel University of Music completed her studies. Her performing activity featured concert and productions such as the Karlsruhe Handel Festival, the Rheingau Music Festival and the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, the Tzlil Meudcan Festival Tel Aviv, the Donaueschingen Festival and the Bayreuth Festival of Young Artists. Désirée Hall's repertoire spans from the baroque period to classical and contemporary music. Her works are mainly focused on performances with modern composers. Contemporary music is an important feature of her backround. It translates into intense modern music performances and also contemporary music-theater. In addition, she completed a master degree in Performative Arts in social fields with special focus on artistic research at Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences.
Deaf poetry and dance
Kassandra Wedel is a deaf freelance artist, dancer, choreographer, actress and performer. She was born in 1984 and lives currently in Munich, where she studied theater studies and art education at the Ludwig Maximilian University. She completed a hip-hop coach training and has been teaching dance groups for hearing and deaf people since 2003. She is regularly on stage nationwide and internationally. Kassandra Wedel was also seen in 2016 on ZDF „Tatort“ and won the dance show „Deutschland Tanzt“ aired on Pro 7. She took part in various theater productions of the German Deaf Theater such as "Alice in Wonderland". She played also at the Munich Theater in the play "LUEGEN", which was also aired in Santiago del Chile. As a fairy queen she was seen at the Wuppertal Opera in "Aschemond oder die Fairyqueen". She is still performing in free productions such as "FIL" or "die dada". Her own dance theater piece "The Dress" won in 2017 two prizes at the German Sign Language Theater Festival. Kassandra Wedel loves to experiment and in her own pieces explores how to deal with emotions, beliefs and the flexibility of identity. She uses various forms of artistic expression such as drama, performance, hip hop, vogue, contemporary dance, sign language, deaf poetry and her own voice.
Maren Schwier
Soprano
Maren Schwier completed in 2017 her master degree in opera singing with Prof. Ursula Targler-Sell at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts. She established herself as interpreter of every repertoire arranging from classical to contemporary music. Since 2018 she has been a permanent member of the ensemble at the State Theater in Mainz. Maren Schwier has performed at well-known festivals such as the Rheingau Music Festival, the SWR Festspiele Schwetzingen, the Darmstadt Summer Courses and the Music Theater Days in Vienna. In 2018 she was engaged by the music label KAIROS as a soloist for a CD production in Kiev. She is currently singing the roles of Gretel ("Hansel and Gretel") and Adele ("Die Fledermaus") at the State Theater in Mainz.
Larissa Nagel
Cello
Larissa Nagel is a young cellist who, in addition to her traditional repertoire and solo work, plays music in a wide variety of chamber music ensembles from across epochs, such as i.e. contemporary music, rock, pop and jazz. In 2018 Larissa Nagel finished her Bachelor of Music at Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts. Since 2020 she is completing a music solo master at the Cologne University of Music and Dance being lead by Prof. Thomas Caroll. At the same time, she is attending a chamber music master with Prof. Angelika Merkle. Larissa Nagel is a member of the Frankfurt Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra and the SWR Symphony Orchestra. She also worked with the Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra. In February 2021 she won with the trio Hannari in Frankfurt the Lenzewski Competition. This event marked also the artistic debut of the trio.
Trailer Echo:Reflexion (2021)
What is deaf poetry?
