SAMUR and the Goethe-Institut Chennai invites approximately fifteen musicians — composers and performers from countries of South Asia and Germany — to come together for two weeks in a unique collaborative music making residency program.
This upcoming summer, the Goethe-Institut Chennai will launch the 2nd South Asian Music Residency (SAMUR II).
After last year’s successful take off, SAMUR reemerges with another set of musicians, who will be invited to come together for a unique music collaboration.
SAMUR encourages its participants to share ideas, perform each other's works, and compose music for one another, while exploring their own musical vision and broadening their artistic and cultural horizons. Basis and core of this collaboration is the ability to improvise and share musical ideas of all kinds / genres. Musically open minded musicians and composers from different backgrounds will collaborate in this cross-cultural venture.
This unique music residency explores possibilities for cross-cultural exchange on practice and theory of contemporary music composition in different countries, relation between traditional and contemporary music and challenges of various genres and styles, capacity-building, interaction of emerging and experienced musicians and composers in South-Asia, presentation of new compositions and ideas for collaborative projects in the future and to strengthen the networking of festivals, institutions and individualists / free-lancers in the region with Germany.
A singular feature of the SAMUR experience is the presentation of public performances during and a grand finale concert at the conclusion of the residency in order to present some of their collaborative work evolved, with the public.
The directors of the 2017 program of SAMUR II will be German composer and double bass player Sebastian Gramss, who has helped shape the Residency in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut Chennai, and German composer and saxophone player Roger Hanschel, both experts in their own music style and well-experienced in cross-cultural contemporary musical endeavors and much sought after by the future generation of experimental musicians.
Sebastian Gramss
is a German double bass player, cellist and composer of jazz and contemporary music. His activities include solo works (Atopie), a long term bass duo series, a Cologne-based quartet, up to his international double bass orchestra Bassmasse with 50 bass players. He has released more than 20 CDs, composed for radio drama, movies and theater and – among others – for choreographer Pina Bausch.
Roger Hanschel
After beginning his musical education at a young age, began to play the saxophone at 11, developed a fascination for jazz, improvised music and at 14 founded his first group. Hanschel is a member of the Kölner Saxophon Mafia since 1987. The ensemble has received four German Record Prizes as well as the SWR Jazz Prize. Since 2007 he has been performing solo concerts throughout Europe and released his first complete solo CD in March 2011. In 2014 he founded the group Trio Benares and their CD "Assi Ghat" won the "Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik. Since 2010 he teaches saxophone at the Musikhochschule in Cologne. He has released 38 CDs.
All awarded participants are committed to remain for the duration of the entire residency. Participants will be asked to present the music scenario in their countries and to reflect upon their own role in it. Furthermore there will be external input in the form of lectures, workshops etc. Basis and core of the collaboration is openness and the ability to improvise and share musical ideas of all kinds and genres.
Every participant accepted to SAMUR will be provided with accommodation, delicious meals / per diems during their stay and their travel expenses will be covered.
This year SAMUR II 2017 will function in collaboration with our music partner institution K M Music Conservatory, founded by world renowned music composer A R Rahman. The working sessions of the entire two-week music residency will happen predominantly at KMMC and occasionally at Goethe-Institut. The Grand Finale concert will be held at Goethe-Institut Auditorium.