The Kiezsalon returns to the Collegium Hungaricum in Berlin-Mitte for a full weekend program. Friday features the Berlin debuts of glitch-fork artist Derek Piotr and violinist Petra Várallyay, joined by pianist Stefan Schultze and multimedia shapeshifter James K (DJ). Saturday continues with Lisa Lerkenfeldt, Raphael Rogiński, András Németh and DJ duo Lazy Calm Raga.
Derek Piotr is a US-based folklorist, researcher and electroacoustic performer whose sound is largely defined by his digitally manipulated vocals. For over a decade, Piotr has been twisting familiar instruments and sounds into his own intricate brand of glitch-pop. His new album Divine Supplication is a deeply intimate work wrought from a series of personal tragedies, yet the collection of songs manage to be among Derek’s warmest to date, “a strangely alluring tapestry that feels both new and timeless” according to The Wire.
Stefan Schultze straddles the borders between new music, improvisation and jazz. After studying piano and composition in Cologne and in New York, he moved to Berlin where he currently composes for small and large ensembles and realises cultural-political music projects on stages internationally.
His latest proposition is called Hyperplexia, reflecting an obsessive fascination with the vast possibilities inherent in the piano in terms of sound, composition and performance. Through a series of live experiments investigating its structural, mechanical and sonic dimensions, Stefan disrupts any preconceived notions regarding the piano.
Budapest-based composer Petra Várallyay‘s music is an organic fusion of various styles, drawing influence from the harmonic world of modal jazz and the rhythmic asymmetry of Balkan music. With a background in both classical and jazz, she is renowned for her straightforward playing style, which combines contemporary timbres with the rawness of rock music and folk music-like simplicity.
Her recent highlights include composing and premiering her first violin concerto, as well as sharing the stage with music legends such as Bobby McFerrin, Jim Black and Yo-Yo Ma.
Over the past decade, James K has been bouncing between NYC and Berlin, from theatres to clubs, whether as a producer, performer, composer, DJ or video artist. She has released on labels such as PAN, AD 93, Dial, iDEAL Recordings as well as Incienso, who put out her sophomore record Random Girl in 2022. “Continuously morphing and slipping through any easy classification,” says RA, “it’s a fitting soundtrack for an artist caught in the midst of what sounds like a radical shift from pop outsider to bona fide experimental composer.”
Having opened its doors in 2007, the new Collegium Hungaricum Berlin stands where the original institute existed from 1926 to 1944. With its Bauhaus architecture, the building is reminiscent of a modernist movement that connects Hungary and Germany. Filled with large windows, the cultural hub offers panoramic views and radiant sunlight. For the Kiezsalon we invite you to wander through the Collegium Hungaricum and experience live music across the venue’s various spaces. There is a limited number of tickets available — secure your spot early.
