Hammermusik is a new collective founded by five leading artists from different genres, including dance, classical and contemporary music, fine art, and journalism.

​

There is nothing quite like a dinner party at Alexander Polzin's house, a guest list of his wide circle of friends and colleagues, where the conversation flows along with the courses. A few years ago Owen Pallett was visiting me in Berlin and we headed out to Pankow for dinner, and at some point the conversation turned to owning our product: what we present, what we do, who we are as performers and artists. It became quickly apparent we had something interesting to work with. Owen, a composer and multi instrumentalist,Alexander, the sculpture, painter, director, and stage designer, Sommer, a choreographerof wonderful breath, Manuela the writer, and me, a violinist.

​

I was instantly focused on the baroque repertoire- the idea of a semi staged King Arthur for instance- Owen and Alexander on both the Baroque and Contemporary. Sommer can do anything. And Manuela with her long history of Music criticism and wide ranging cultural commentary.

​

About a month later, Owen named it ‘Hammermusik’ a nod to Alexander’s work- his hands hammering and chiseling- and a hint to the Baroque era.

​

And we all knew people. Alexander has had long standing friendships with composers including György Kurtág, Konstantia Gourzi, and Helmut Lachenmann, for instance. We all had friends wanting something new. The pandemic restrictions certainly hit pause. What was to be Berlin- based will now be America based. Performances focusing on the repertoire from Purcell to Mendelssohn, often but not always on period instruments and then fast forward to the composers of today.

​

In the recent past musicians of Hammermusik were loaned an astonishing quartet of period instruments and bows and performed quartets of Haydn and Mendelssohn in Chicago, New Jersey, and at the German Consulate in New York. At the LongHouse Reserve inauguration of Alexander Polzin's sculpture 'Parthenope' members performed Bach, Haydn and Gourzi.

​

One could call it a collective- it is in some way- but a better description is a band of friends, colleagues old and new, with similar ideals of performance and standards. Welcome. We hope this brings fulfillment to audiences and us alike.

 

Founders

Sommer Ulrickson

Alexander Polizin

Owen Pallett

Manuela Hoelterhoff

Eoin Andersen

 

 

Eoin Andersen

Executive Director

 

Aurelien Fort-Pederzoli, Eoin Andersen

Artistic Directors

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​