Protest of the Physical
bodies of sound, spaces of resistance
In Protest of the Physical, lovemusic proposes an experience in four tableaux, in which the performers’ bodies are not merely vehicles for instrumental execution, but fully embodied physical presences on stage - both intrinsically intertwined with the music and its physical demands, and serving as a foil to highlight how gesture shapes our listening experience. By incorporating artists from different disciplines into the creative process, questioning the role of the audience itself, and using the body as an expressive tool of communication, the collective also seeks to reclaim their position as unique performers on stage, rather than replaceable “instrumentalists”.
Supported by Jazz & New Music, a program of Villa Albertine and Albertine Foundation, Impuls Neue Musik, Mécénat Caisse des Dépôts, Conseil Régional Grand Est, Ville de Strasbourg, Spedidam, Sacem and Adami.
Premiered at the Philharmonie Luxembourg at rainy days 2025
In Protest of the Physical, lovemusic continues its exploration of the body as both a source and essential vector in making new music. This new programme includes three new works written for the collective, in which gesture, sound, and perception intertwine to offer an embodied experience.
programme
Annette Schlünz (composer) & Anne-Hélène Kotoujansky (choreographer)
In die Ferne, dem Berg zu (2025)
flute, clarinet, violin, cello, electric guitar and choreographed gestures
World premiere, commissioned by lovemusic
Nik Bohnenberger
hands, drum - three bones (2025)
piccolo, bass clarinet, violin, cello, electric guitar, electronics, video, and audience participation
World premiere, commissioned by Price Waterhouse Coopers / Philharmonie Luxembourg for lovemusic
Bethany Younge
Seed (2025) -
flute, clarinet, violin, cello, electric guitar, electronics and gestures.
World premiere, commissioned by lovemusic
Helmut Oehring
[iɱˈfɛrno] (excerpt from MAPPA) Contrapasso I – V (to Vladimir Putin / Sergei Lavrov) (2022)
Bass flute, bass clarinet, cello, electric guitar, and tape
Commissioned by lovemusic and the Klangwerkstatt Festival – Berlin