Musical contrasts in Nürnberg

Musical contrasts in Nuremberg – ensemble KONTRASTE for Nuremberg

Metropolitan Nuremberg’s thriving cultural scene is as diverse as it’s people, and undoubtedly, the Tafelhalle is Nuremberg’s most prominent location to experience the multitude of cultural events on offer. A place where Cabaret and Film, Theater and Dance, or Classical music and Jazz, to name just a few, can be found in abundance.

For more than three decades ensemble KONTRASTE (eK) has established itself as a classical music “powerhouse” within Nuremberg’s lively music scene, alongside the Nuremberg State Philharmonic Orchestra and the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra. With its emphasis on Contemporary music, ensemble KONTRASTE has established itself as an energetic and forward-thinking ensemble well-known for its exciting, contrasting and sometimes unorthodox programs.

The conviction to be different, to cross the boundaries of genre, and to offer the extraordinary is the motivation behind our program planning. Rest assured, the ‘traditional’ still has its place: concerts with works not commonly heard, our ‘Poetry and Prose’ events where music and literature come together, silent movies with live orchestra, as well as our Children’s concerts. Additionally projects such as our collaborations with video and photographic artists at the Nuremberg Planetarium and productions at the St. Katharina Ruins add variety to our already overflowing program. Ensemble KONTRASTE can also be heard in a larger setting at choir concerts in the St Laurence’s Church Nuremberg.

Our framework consists of tried and trusted methods interspersed with new and exciting ideas. Deciding exactly how to fill in the blanks is the real challenge. Which works, which texts, which film should we choose!? The impression we leave on you, our audience, is perhaps the most important. The artist is said to be nothing without an audience – fortunately however, the audience is also nothing without an artist. An audience longs to be moved, to be engaged, longs for artistry and for stimulation, sometimes an audience even longs to be provoked! There’s only one thing an audience dislikes: boredom! We know that our eK audience, from the long-time subscribers to the newcomers alike, long for an energetic and lively music scene, not the banal.

Our diverse program shouldn’t just evoke curiosity and pique your interest, but it must meet the demands of our exceptional musicians and the audience alike. To do so is a bit like trying to fit the proverbial square peg into a round hole! We hope to have come one step closer this time!