Happy New Ears XVII / Oh! That Sax!

Named after John Cage’s pious wish, »Happy New Ears« is the title of a new music series in Hamburg dedicated exclusively to compositions from the 20th and 21st centuries and that explores new presentation formats. This year’s concert at the Elbphilharmonie kicks things off with a saxophone »double duo«. While this may sound quite unusual at first, upon reflection, the line-up featuring the two rising stars in their field, Asya Fateyeva and Anna-Lena Schnabel, makes perfect sense. The two saxophonists still have their whole careers before them but they are already helping the instrument achieve a new popularity. Both musicians take an uncompromising artistic stance that allows their music to traverse borders and, in this concert, to find common ground. At times individually, at times together, four top musicians perform – each in their own unique style.