Ensemble Musikfabrik

Composer, theorist, and performer Harry Partch (1901-1974) was one of the most unique personalities of the twentieth century. A strong and most influential supporter of microtonal music, Partch went against the Western music canon, putting forth a new and integrated approach to music composition. Specifically, taking as his starting point speech nuances and integrated ritual theatre, he supported corporeal music: the performer actively takes part in the work by singing, dancing, talking, and playing musical instruments. Partch also devised a new system of tuning with scales consisting of 43 uneven intervals, and created custom-made instruments for his music compositions.

Partch’s use of custom-made instruments made live performances of his work difficult. In 2012, Thomas Meixner created a set of replicas of Partch’s complete instrument collection for his musical ensemble Musikfabrik, thus making possible the performance of his works.

Musikfabrik focuses on artistic innovation. Their performances frequently include new or unknown works, often through commissions. These are performed with unusual means of expression. In dialogue with other kinds of art, their performances significantly expand the notion of the concert.