Grenzüberschreitungen – Exil, Identität, Spiritualität

To mark the 90th birthdays of three composers – Leonid Hrabovsky from Ukraine, Giya Kancheli from Georgia and Arvo Pärt from Estonia – the Bonn-based art promotion association In Situ Art Society is organising a series of concerts in 2025 featuring works by the three composers.

Leonid Hrabovsky, Giya Kancheli and Arvo Pärt knew each other and were friends. Above all, however, they were united by their experience of the repressive Soviet regime, which suppressed and levelled dissent, free artistic expression and national identity. Within a decade, all three emigrated, which meant the loss of their homeland and a transformation for them. Homesickness and the search for cultural identity permeate their work, as does the quest for a universal musical language that transcends political and geographical boundaries. It is remarkable how, despite the geographical distance, the exploration of their own cultural origins remained a central element of their work. This is particularly evident in all three composers’ works for voice and choir.

The works of these composers are strongly influenced by spiritual, philosophical and existential themes. As different as their styles are, they share a preference for clear, reduced musical structures. Pärt and Kancheli in particular use the minimalist approach to achieve great expressiveness with few means.

The concert series Grenzüberschreitungen – Exil, Identität, Spiritualität is supported by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.

Further information:
in-situ-art-society.de

Dates

December 5, 2025
Church of St. Joseph, Bonn

December 6 & 7, 2025
Dialogue Space Kreuzung an St. Helena, Bonn