For the SuedKultur Music Night 2026, the ligeti zentrum invites artists with diverse styles and influences to a musical dinner. Each act brings its own ingredients: from mathematically influenced soundscapes to Chinese poetry set to music, to instruments that control one another.
The menu covers all tastes: free improvisation and avant-garde pop, jazz and Irish folk, as well as electronic sound exploration—and, as a shared course in the middle of the program, a spontaneous jam session. Together, they create a multifaceted buffet that playfully crosses genre boundaries and demonstrates just how inspiring musical diversity can be.
Starting at 5:00 p.m.
Interactive Installations & Exhibition by Dai Jianhua
Step right in to what may be Harburg’s highest-altitude concert venue! As always, you can expect numerous surprises as well as a varied musical program featuring both familiar and unfamiliar sounds.
The evening is complemented by insights into the art of Dai Jianhua from China, who specializes in oil painting and lives in Shanghai. His works have been exhibited internationally, including in Paris and as part of the Louvre Independent Artists Exhibition. In addition, several monographs on his artistic work have been published, and his pieces have been featured in major publications on contemporary Chinese art.
5:15 – 5:45 p.m.
Sonomathematical Impulse Architects – Impulse Pattern Formulation
Free Noise Improvisation
Now an indispensable part of the MusicNight at
the ligeti zentrum: Simon Linke and Rolf Bader make music using a mathematical equation. The so-called
Impulse Pattern Formulation (IPF) is a physical modeling algorithm for generating sounds, rhythms, and large-scale forms, and can take on the role of a virtual fellow musician who reacts to every impulse in a completely unique way. The interplay between musicians and the algorithm gives rise to spontaneous soundscapes full of surprises: unknown animals, extraterrestrial and subterranean beings, or extraordinary states of consciousness. Where the journey will take us this time remains to be seen.
Simon Linke (zither, keyboard, electronic sound generation)
Rolf Bader (MIDI guitar, electronic sound generation)
6:00 – 6:20 p.m.
Guan Yanyi
Vocal and Instrumental Music
In her song cycle, guest artist Guan Yanyi from China sets texts from ancient Chinese poems to music. Traditional melodies meet guitar, harmonica, and synthesizer—an instrumentation that blends familiar sounds with modern aesthetics. In her work, Guan Yanyi blends Buddhist and Zen Buddhist musical traditions with contemporary multimedia art and has previously composed for museum exhibitions and cultural heritage projects. With this song cycle, she once again brings her experience in the musical exploration of Chinese culture and spirituality to life.
Guan Yanyi (vocals, guitar, harmonica, synthesizer)
6:35 – 7:05 p.m.
Liang Yiyuan
Contemporary improvisation with modified instruments
Guest artist Liang Yiyuan brings traditional Chinese musical instruments with him—the yangqin and the suona. However, they are not in their original form, but have been modified. By combining them with a guitar and other self-made sound objects, he creates a completely new, experimental musical language. In his work, Liang Yiyuan moves between visual art and musical innovation, blending ambient, electronic, and improvised music into unique soundscapes. Drawing on his experience from multimedia collaborations in contemporary art, dance, and film, he creates striking acoustic spaces that immediately engage the audience.
Liang Yiyuan (modified yangqin, suona, guitar, sound objects)
7:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Potluck
Jam Session
“Potluck” is the English term for a communal dinner where each guest brings a dish. At our potluck, no food will be served—instead, we’ll feature a variety of musical styles, influences, instruments, and equipment.
8:10 – 8:40 p.m.
oscheat
Conceptual Improvisation
What happens when musicians can not only play their own instruments but also control those of their fellow performers? That’s exactly what oscheat enables—a custom-developed interface based on OSC (Open Sound Control), a protocol for real-time communication between musical instruments and digital devices. oscheat expands ensemble communication beyond conventional musical interaction: musicians can use it to directly intervene in each other’s instruments, thereby creating new forms of ensemble playing and musical role distribution. The system is divided into three sections—synthesizers for melody and harmony, a sequencer for rhythm, and a sampler for speech.
Moritz Wesp (virtual trombone, keytar)
Eric Haupt (MIDI guitar)
Victor Gelling (modular synthesizer)
Simon Linke (zither)
9:00 PM – 9:45 PM
CLARKS PLANET
Avant-garde Pop
CLARKS PLANET soars through an avant-garde pop landscape in a flashing electric guitar spaceship. Singing with their whole body and carried by understated drums, CLARKS experiences sensual moments on traffic islands, conducts an eagle owl orchestra, breaks their heart over society, and laughs at powerful men. Patriarchal crusts crack open, revealing vulnerability, connection—something soft. Come and fly with us!
CLARKS PLANET (various instruments, vocals, performance)
Kieran McAuliffe (spatial audio effects)
Kollektiv Visuell (Visuals)
10:00 PM – 10:50 PM
Kieran McAuliffe & Friends
Jazz & Irish Folk
Kieran’s new program combines the wistful melodies of Irish folk music with the playful spirit of experimentation found in jazz, drawing on the longing for home that connects both musical traditions. He will be accompanied by old and new ensemble members, as well as several team members from the ligeti zentrum.
Admission: €7.50
The admission fee grants access to all other participating venues at the SuedKultur-MusicNight 2026.
