20th edition of the “Impuls” Festival, featuring a guest performance in Iraq

The “Impuls” Festival for New Music in Saxony-Anhalt has drawn inspiration for its anniversary edition from the motto “City, Light, Life, Energy” of Halle’s cultural theme year. From August 10 to November 20, concerts, sound installations, and panel discussions under the theme “The Veiling of Light” are set to captivate audiences, according to the organizers. Events will take place in the artists’ town of Kalbe in the Altmark region, as well as in Magdeburg, Halle, and Leipzig, according to the announcement. 

New Sounds in the Old Kiosk

“The 20th festival is a good opportunity to take the pulse of current events in Saxony-Anhalt and around the world,” according to a statement from the organizers. For the first time, the “Impuls” Festival will be held in Iraq. On September 7, the festival will travel to Sulaymaniyah in northern Iraq for a concert, where festival director Hans Rotmann will conduct the Slemani Symphony Orchestra. 

Composers Erwin and Benjamin Stache, known for their sound objects and unconventional musical machines, will bring the “Fleischer Kiosk” in downtown Halle to life between August 29 and September 12. For the installation “Lichtspiel,” the kiosk will serve as a project space.

Renowned orchestras from across the state are participating

Since 2008, the “Impuls” Festival has offered contemporary music and young talents a platform for presentation and learning. Renowned orchestras from across the state, such as the Magdeburg Philharmonic and the Wernigerode Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, are part of the series, as are schools, universities, and other institutions. The Leipzig Forum for Contemporary Music is also firmly integrated into the network, according to the announcement.