Solistenensemble Kaleidoskop x WhatWhy Art (Seoul) x Konstantin Heuer

At its heart is a new work that combines classical string instruments, traditional Korean instruments and electronics to create a multi-layered soundscape.

The project explores and combines microtonal approaches and transcultural sound practices without homogenising different musical traditions. The resulting shared soundscape is not a homogeneous style, but a dynamic structure, comparable to a topographical landscape in which friction, resonance and untranslatability are just as effective as convergence and connection.

‘Cheop Cheop San Maek’ thus articulates a transcultural practice beyond exoticisation or appropriation: a coming together based on listening, sensitivity and structural equivalence, which enables new forms of collective sound production without erasing differences.

To mark its 20th anniversary in 2026, the Kaleidoskop soloists’ ensemble will present new projects that consistently build on its collaborative working methods and reflect the ensemble’s artistic development. They showcase the central strands of the ensemble’s kaleidoscopic practice since its inception: its long-standing engagement with various forms of musical theatre, research into chamber music, and transdisciplinary collaborations. The soloists’ ensemble maintains a partnership with the Korean ensemble WhatWhy Art, which has developed over the course of several projects.

WhatWhy Art is an organisation comprising soloists and creative practitioners in the field of contemporary music, which bridges the gap between tradition and modernity. The collective explores diverse artistic perspectives and discourses by integrating the potential of traditional Korean music and instruments into the context of contemporary music and art. With the aim of breaking free from conventions and cultural constraints, it pursues a forward-looking approach.

The composer and producer Konstantin Heuer divides his time between Asia and Berlin. Under his alias Sedonid, he produces hypnotic techno and writes music for mixed setups of electronic and acoustic instruments. Heuer works with innovative scales and tunings in extended just intonation. His sound architecture follows strictly formal criteria, whilst his sound design is atmospheric and imbued with emotional depth.