Ultraschall Berlin 2025

As natural as it is for most musicians to contribute artistically to the debates of the time, it is also legitimate to work independently of all of this. Ultraschall Berlin, the festival for new music by Deutschlandfunk Kultur and radio3 from rbb, which takes place from January 15th to 19th, 2025 at various locations in Berlin, gives space to both tendencies.

The suppression of freedom in Iran and Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine have left their mark on the program in recent years. Now the war in the Middle East is another conflict to be added. For its Ultraschall debut at the Radialsystem, the Meitar Ensemble from Tel Aviv is bringing a series of world and German premieres that speak of fragility and grief, but also of hope.

In addition, Ultraschall Berlin is also presenting world premieres, German premieres and works from the recent past alongside avant-garde classics this year. Free from the constraints of topicality and premieres, the festival depicts key developments that shape contemporary music and takes a meaningful look at the recent past in order to illuminate selected works in a new context.

This year, Ultraschall Berlin is more than ever a place of encounter: a place of aesthetic experience in encounters with surprising, irritating, delightful works. But also a place of personal encounters in conversations and discursive intermezzi with composers, performers and organizations. In this way, the weekend in the Radialsystem expands from a sequence of concerts to a continuum of music and conversation rich in perspectives.

Further EVENTS at the Festival Ultraschall Berlin 2025