Gadenstätter, Clemens

Clemens Gadenstätter, born in 1966, studied composition in Vienna and then in Stuttgart under Helmut Lachenmann. He teaches at the University of Music Graz as a professor of Analysis, Music Theory, and Composition.

Gadenstätter’s musical undertaking explores the compositional re-synthesis of perception, sensation and feeling. For him, this should bring together the trinity of listening, comprehension, and composition.

His recent work concerns: the transformation of acoustically triggered, pre-formed feelings (in the series E.P.O.S.: les premiers cris, les cris des lumières, les derniers cris for different ensemble arrangements); the notion of the banal (in the pieces Semantical Investigations 1&2, as well as the essay „Was heißt hier banal“ [What do we mean banal?]); the poly-modality of listening (in häuten, schlitzen for string quartet 1&2, ES for voice and ensemble); as well as musical iconography (in the series ICONOSONICS 1 3). His larger works thematize these ideas in multimedia form, such as daily transformations for voice, ensemble, electronics, text, and film, with Lisa Spalt (text) and Anna Henckel-Donnersmark (film).

Gadenstätter’s works have been commissioned by: The Donaueschingen Festival, Musik der Jahrhunderte Stuttgart, WDR Witten Days for New Chamber Music, Wien Modern, ORF/Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Musikbiennale Berlin, Salzburg Festspiele, Musikbiennale Salzburg, Steirischer Herbst, Ultima Oslo and more.

His music was performed by many orchestras ensembles, soloists and conductors: RSO Wien, SWR Orchester Freiburg und Baden Baden, Hilversum Kamerorkest, RSB Berlin, Orchestre Philharmonique Luxembourg; Ensemble Modern, Klangforum Wien, ASAMISIMASA Oslo, Ensemble TALEA (NYC), L’Instant donné Paris, Ensemble Recherche, Kammerensemble Neue Musik Berlin, Ensemble Ascolta Stuttgart, Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart, Phase Contemporary Wien, Trio Accanto Freiburg; Peter Eötvös, Peter Rundel, Arturo Tamayo, Beat Furrer, Pascal Rophé, Johannes Kalitzke, Antonio Politano, Teodoro Anzellotti, Ernst Kovacic, Marcus Weiss, Florian Müller and others.

Since 2003/04 he is Professor at the University of Music Graz for Music Theory and Analysis, as well as lecturer for Composition.

In the summer semester of 2013, he was guest professor for Composition at the University of Music and performing arts Carl-Maria von Weber, Dresden. In 2017/18 he was guest professor for Composition at the Nordic Music High school, Oslo. In 2014 he was a lecturer at the Darmstadt Ferienkurse for New Music; in 2013 and 2015, a lecturer at Impulse Academy Graz; as well as a lecturer at COURSE – Master class for Composition Kiew/Lviv in 2015 and 2017.