Vampires in London, Hyper-organs in Lübeck

In October 2024, Franz Danksagmüller, along with his students from the Royal Academy of Music, performed a live soundtrack for pipe organ and Kyma to accompany the silent film Nosferatu twice in London: The first performance, on 4 October 2024, was at the Royal Academy, and the second performance was on Halloween at the cathedral in St. Albans to a sold-out audience and was, by all accounts, a fantastic success (resulting in some very happy students).

St. Albans organ loft during live soundtrack for “Nosferatu” with Kyma Control on the iPad
Audience for the sold-out performance of Nosferatu at St. Albans (view from behind the projection screen)
Students of Franz Danksagmüller performing the live soundtrack for Nosferatu at St. Albans
Entryway to St. Albans Cathedral

At the Musikhochschule Lübeck, Danksagmüller’s students in the new master’s program in Hyper-organ, Improvisation, Composition & New Media are presenting a concert for organ, Kyma and live-video on 8 December 2024 in the main concert hall at the MHK. Composer/performers include:

  • Sarah Proske: Emerson, Lake and Palmer´s “Fanfare for the common man for organ, percussion, live electronics
  • Patrycja Olszewska: Liquid Motion for organ, live electronics, video
  • Lennart Pries: Improvisation for the silent film “The Fall of the House of Usher (USA 1927) for organ and live electronics
  • Karin Lorenz: (Un-)Known for organ and electronics
  • Sarah Proske: smoke for organ, live electronics and video
  • Valentin Manß & Wojciech Buczyński: crowds, live & death, Music for (historical) silent film excerpts for organ, live electronics, video
  • Fabio Paiano: á la ELP for organ and live electronics