Hannsjörg Schumann
play_full
Stegreif – The Improvising Orchestra, Berlin (DE)
No sheet music – no conductor – no chairs: the aim of Stegreif is to open up new ways of experiencing classical music for themselves and the audience. In re-compositions, the ensemble expands on classical works by incorporating contemporary trends, improvisation and influences from other genres. Movement, original spatial concepts and performative intensity create a novel, accessible concert experience.
In the play_full project, the Stegreif Orchestra is taking on a one-year mentorship with two youth orchestras: the symphony orchestra of the Gymnasium bei St. Stephan in Augsburg and the Landesjugenensemble Neue Musik of the Landesmusikrat Berlin, which is currently in the process of being founded. As part of this mentorship, Stegreif is passing on its knowledge of individual and group improvisation, re:composition and performance practice.
The young aspiring professional musicians will be supervised and coached intensively by five members of the Stegreif Orchestra in a total of three workshop phases. The last workshop phase will be concluded with a public workshop concert, which the young people will design and organise themselves. While the first workshop phase will be dedicated to trying out basic possibilities and methods of group and individual improvisation, the second workshop phase will focus on expanding this sonic expression using existing sheet music as a starting point for further creative exploration. At the same time, instrument-specific individual and group coaching will be provided to better accompany individual experiences. In a final workshop phase, these insights will be combined and cast into a performance-ready form so that the ensemble can grow in a presentation to the outside world.
Hannsjörg Schumann
Improvisation is to be understood here as a musical tool that – more socio-politically relevant than ever before – is intended to strengthen the musical educational mission and to bring out and strengthen the sonic interests of both the ensemble and the individual musicians. The main aim is to help young musicians overcome their inhibitions about playing without fully notated sheet music and to help them find their own musical and creative language. The title of the project, play_full, is based on the didactic and playful approach to imparting knowledge, which makes it possible to appeal to aspiring musicians with diverse musical backgrounds and a wide range of ages.
The aim of the play_full project is to develop a deeper, long-term and sustainable relationship with young orchestras that want to engage more intensively with Stegreif Orchestra’s musical approaches. In addition, musical content that participants would otherwise have little contact with, such as musical improvisation, will be taught. Overall, the workshops are designed to help children and young people with extensive musical experience to consolidate and expand their creative horizons.
Since the Stegreif Orchester was founded in 2015, at least one new concert programme has been developed every year and performed at renowned venues such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, the Alte Oper Frankfurt, the Radialsystem Berlin and the FUSION Festival. In addition, structured music education concepts have been developed. The orchestra regularly holds workshops (most recently with the major workshop series #bechange), has developed joint concert programmes with amateurs or young people on several occasions, such as #Carmen with the Weimar Stadtstreichern or BE:community with the Konzerthaus Dortmund, and held a residency at TONALi in Hamburg in 2024.
Further information:
stegreif.org
Dates
Workshops in Augsburg:
October 24–26, 2025
January 16–18, 2026
May 15–16, 2026
Concert:
May 17, 2026
Mozartfest, Augsburg
Workshops in Berlin:
January 30–February 1, 2026
June 10-12, 2026