Change of scenery for ars musica
For 13 years, the ars musica association performed on the stage at the Stemmerhof. It was time to say goodbye at the turn of the year. Ars musica recently rented a new office at Westpark. Singer/songwriters, authors and comedians were drawn to the small stage with its living room character. Armchairs and sofas from the 1930s, cinema seats, red brick walls, pictures on the walls from current exhibitions, modern lighting and sound technology and a small bar gave the theater an atmosphere that sent visitors back in time. Michaila Kühnemann and Roland Fritsch provided the program. The association, which is funded by the Munich Department of Culture, supports hundreds of artists with the money and keeps theater culture in Munich alive. The program ranged from vernissages to music, readings and performances by comedians and actors.
Artists
The couch poets Tinka Kleffner (succeeded by Uli Mauk) and Roland Fritsch regularly provided inspiring discussions with young writers on their literary stage. They read aloud from their books to a musical accompaniment. Roland is also the author of short, humorous stories and prose, which he presents to his audience on stage.
Musician Saschmo Bibergeil prefers to play gypsy jazz. His style not only went well with the furniture of the Stemmerhof, Saschmo’s swing sends us back to the birth of swing jazz – to France in the 1930s. The musician also writes his own songs with a bluesy touch and plays voodoo blues together with Dr. Will. You can also listen to the Voodooblues on Facebook in the live stream on Thursday, 11.02.21 at 20:00.
Singer, musical performer and vocal coach Stefanie Derner is either on stage at Schuhbecks Teatro with the Star Musical Dinner, she visits theater stages with her solo program “a tribute to Eva Cassidy” and trains voices in the field of musical and pop singing under the name “Vocal Architects”. Together with composer Mario Stefan Becher and director Oliver Pauli, she is currently producing the radio play musical “Reeperwahn” based on the novel by Steffi von Wolf.
An end with horror
The move out of the Stemmerhof did not go according to plan. Actually, after 13 years there should only have been a formal adjustment to the rental agreement. The new contract never arrived at ars musica. Instead, the Stemmerhof’s theater rooms were found as an advertisement on an online marketplace. The popular form of ghosting in the 21st century has now also been applied to business relationships. A long-standing collaboration ended when the partner disappeared from the agreement like a ghost.
New tasks with the move
Once the initial astonishment had been overcome, the space for creativity opened up. The office at Westpark was quickly found. The new “Kultürbüro” – the name of Michaila and Roland’s format, which will soon go on air with a livestream – is slowly growing into the role of an agency. With the Department of Culture behind them, Michaila and Roland are delighted with the new opportunities. After all, they are no longer tied to one venue, but can cooperate with the many theaters in the city. From the brand new auditorium of the “LUISE” cultural center to the open-air cinema in Westpark, ideas for spaces for ars musica are bubbling up. The association’s 13th year seems to stand for growth. The “Kultürbüro” will also be ceremoniously opened – with a live stream suitable for lockdown and performances by various small artists. As soon as the line-up is finalized, there will be a small announcement in the magazine.
