Elina Albach began playing the harpsichord as a five-year-old. Coming from a very musical family with backgrounds in baroque and church music, she became familiar with that repertoire from an early age. This had profound consequences for her musical development: maybe being so deeply soaked into historical performance practice and the diverse musical languages of that era allowed her to think of it in completely new and risky ways: Not only is Albach in international demand as a harpsichordist today and the winner of many awards, but her agile ensemble CONTINUUM, which she founded and leads, is also considered the nucleus of an approach to early music that is fresh and innovative.
Elina Albach, born in 1990, studied at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis with Prof. Jörg-Andreas Bötticher, has conducted the Vokalconsort Berlin, the Karajan Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic and taught chamber music, basso continuo and harpsichord at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber in Dresden and the Hochschule für Musik Detmold. She has performed in various ensembles and solo at countless renowned festivals and concert houses on four continents. Among her numerous scholarships the Fellowship #bebeethoven by PODIUM Esslingen and the German Federal Cultural Foundation stood out most recently, enabling young artists to find new paths in performance practice, interpretation and composition in 2017-2021. During this time, CONTINUUM created projects that explored new ways of performing and presenting early music, exciting combinations of early and contemporary music with the development of new repertoire for baroque instruments and innovative concert design.
FACTS
1. #Womanlifefreedom!
2. Stop war!
3. Johann Sebastian Bach is the best composer of all times.
QUESTIONS
1. What is the biggest inspiration for your music?
The musicians I collaborate with and who I listen to are my biggest inspiration.
To invite people to join my ensemble CONTINUUM who I admire for who they are, what they think, how they play and sing is a gift that I appreciate every day.
2. How and when did you get into making music?
Even before I was born I was surrounded by music – growing up in a family of musicians led me into music making from my very first steps..
3. What are 5 of your favourite albums of all time?
Caroline Shaw / Attaca Quartet: Orange
Donnacha Dennehy / Nadia Sirota / Liam Byrne: Tessellatum
Punch Brothers: The Phosphorescent Blues
The Hilliard Ensemble: Morimur
Capricornus Consort Basel: New Concertos
4. What do you associate with Berlin?
Heimat, a specific smell, grumpy people
5. What’s your favourite place in your town?
Growing up in Berlin, my favourite place in the city changed depending on my age, and due to gentrification, some of my former favourite places no longer exist. .
Considering all the different places I have lived and loved, I would say that Akazienkiez is my absolute favourite. Cosy, relaxed and happy people.
6. If there was no music in the world, what would you do instead?
Opening a café and baking.
7. What was the last record/music you bought?
A recording with kids songs for my 2 years old son. Not very artsy..
8. Who would you most like to collaborate with?
Caroline Shaw
9. What was your best gig (as performer or spectator)?
Spectator: Moormother with Wooden Elephants, Beethovenorchester Bonn at Beethovenfest 2022. So impressive!
Performer: St. John Passion, Good Friday 2020, St. Thomas Church Leipzig. Magic!
10. How important is technology to your creative process?
Quite important. I would like to include more and more technical possibilities in the development of projects.
11. Do you have siblings and how do they feel about your career/art?
We’re six kids at home. I think each of us is very busy with his/her own career/ family, but we are very happy if we manage to meet occasionally!
