concept – idea – Transmission
Thinking dialogues in diverse cultural, sonic, and contemporary terms.
What does asambura education mean?
“The mediation dimensions at asambura are diverse and always originate from different, varied perspectives of dialogue and encounter. asambura is characterized by a multifaceted artistic approach that engages with both political and societal backgrounds as well as the possibilities and limitations of their sonic realization.
Below, we categorize our approaches and dimensions of encounter, which play a crucial role in all asambura projects.”
1. from dissonance to dialogue
Each asambura format begins with at least one dissonant polarity with specific dimensions of encounter. Polarity and dissonance are essential prerequisites for the asambura approach to engaging with difference, fostering an active, sonic dialogue.
examples:
East African music traditions ⇔ Handel’s Messiah,
Schubert’s Winterreise ⇔ Persian poetry and classical music
2. societal bridges instead of walls
The musical and artistic bridges that asambura builds between different works, traditions, and eras of music have societal, social, religious, and even non-musical implications for dialogues aimed at connecting people. With this approach, asambura works on changing societal realities through its artistic and educational projects, without taking a one-sided political stance. The ensemble seeks to embody openness and appreciation as guiding principles, particularly in the way it fosters cooperation in conflict situations.
Our goals are a discrimination-free and discrimination-sensitive society; cultural acceptance and self-determination.
3. interreligious connections
Through our asambura projects, we aim to promote awareness of the diversity of religious and cultural traditions, create spaces for interaction, challenge stereotypes, and encourage discussions. The dialogue should be inclusive and subtle, intertwining soundscapes and the diversity of religious traditions in a multidimensional way.
We highlight the potential within religions, particularly in their peace ethics, focus on the “weak,” and the respectful treatment of others.
Our musical processing of diverse cultural and interreligious dialogues leads to the abstraction and encounter of sound elements, while simultaneously engaging in intercultural and interreligious dialogue on a level that opens from the verbal to the emotional and affective. This enables us to convey aspects of the dialogue that would be difficult to express in words alone—music opens new dimensions!
4. the search for the Eternal – ,Wide effects’ as a religious, societal and musical phenomenon. sounscapes – reinterpreting horizons’
IIn our formats, we seek various ways of expressing eternity, spanning spatial, temporal, and (central to the asambura aesthetic) sonic and conceptual expanses.
We use instrumental sounds that suggest vastness, such as various reverberation and echo effects, to offer the possibility of mental expansion.
Our understanding of vastness and eternity (without beginning or end) is further complemented by another dimension, derived from the term perpetua, which implies something that is always in motion.
Circular movements can also be found in religious concepts of rebirth (e.g., in Hinduism and Buddhism) or in the interaction with deceased ancestors (e.g., in East African religions).
5. compositional reinterpretations as re-contextualizations
In our formats, we focus on a composed work from the classical music tradition, which is not only musically significant but also carries a socio-cultural connotation or meaning, thus symbolizing a central extra-musical aspect of encounter.
examples:
Winterreise represents foreignness, loneliness, and the search for home, Messiah within the tension of Christian mission, Missa Papae Marcelli as a turning point regarding the interplay between religious liturgy and sonic aesthetics.
Through “compositional processing,” this work is “re-imagined” — and made audible (in intercultural and avant-garde encounters). By means of re-contextualization, we provide an “outsider’s perspective,” which opens up new viewpoints on one’s own (cultural) background.
6. experiencing new sonic dimensions on the instrumentarium
We explore new sounds and timbres on our instrumentarium. Some of these timbral motifs imply extra-musical, sometimes interreligious contexts (such as bell sounds, Muezzin calls, etc.). In doing so, we evoke stereotypes, only to consciously break them (either in a new context or by abstracting and elementalizing them).
In addition to the “intercultural” and “historical” instrumentarium, characteristic timbres in the asambura ensemble create bridges between “worlds” and represent the Asambura signature sound.
examples:
low flutes, bass clarinet vibrato, prepared gamelan and bell piano sounds, lute arco, string ponticello, marimba patterns and hall effects, flute percussion and trombone Muezzin with electric guitar.
7. sonic qualities of different music cultures
In the asambura ensemble, certain instruments and aesthetics from various cultural and religious traditions are characteristic of the ensemble’s sound. These instruments are often used in diverse ways, not limited to their traditional cultural applications (e.g., muted sound on the santur).
Beyond this first level of intercultural openness, there are additional dimensions in the asambura sound (including scales, horizontal versus vertical metric and form, oral transmission & improvisation vs. notation, etc.) that are fundamentally important for the formats.
8. historical instrumentarium & musical characteristics
We aim to experience the diverse spectrum of instrumentarium within the historical dimension, incorporating instruments from past centuries, such as those from the early Baroque period. Additionally, other musical characteristics play a fundamental role, which is also reflected in the underlying compositions and the often very old traditions.
9. “re-discovering” & “re-imaging” historical music
Through unusual (or unusually new-sounding) instrumentarium, encounters with a variety of genres, compositional, yet subtle elementalization, and improvisation, new perspectives emerge for the underlying classical works. Of great importance is the appreciative and respectful approach to the original piece.
10. dialogical composing – conceptualizing and collective improvisation with musicians from different backgrounds
Dialogical composing creates a new abstract space for creative expression. Especially when collaborating with individuals from different cultural (and religious) backgrounds, the interpretation of the same sonic material will be influenced by the participants’ socialization, leading to different consequences. On a conceptual level, this process conveys the coexistence of both differences and commonalities.
11. artistic and non-artistic conservation space:
What opportunities does music offer for cultural & interreligious dialogue?
Music can build different bridges than conversations or political discussion forums. This gives it a unique ability to foster understanding within the spectrum of cultural and religious diversity. Even in differences, meaningful communication can take place.
12. reaching new target audiences
We aim to encourage communication, overcome prejudices, and promote mutual respect; therefore, we want to reach diverse target groups. For each Asambura project, we design mediation formats for at least two different target groups.
12a) diversity & inclusivity
Cultural participation is possible regardless of social position or background. The formats are versatile, inclusive, and tailored to specific target groups, and do not necessarily require prior musical education.
12b) new perspektives for church music
With our socially relevant approaches (e.g., solidarity with refugees, reinterpreting works of “classical” church music from a modern perspective, rhythmic-groovy passages), we allow church music to open up to its community. All musicians act as multipliers, ensuring that people who are distant from the church begin to visit.
12c) new perspektives for the classical music
asambura brings classical music to life in an unusual, fresh, exciting way—deliberately in tension with societal and social realities. Furthermore, it enables people from different cultural backgrounds to get to know and engage with works of classical music, with the support of the ensemble. By introducing new performance formats and ensemble space concepts, Asambura breaks free from conventional orchestral concert traditions, offering individually-affective listening experiences.
12d) new perspektives for contemporary music
Through multiple audible connections, Asambura offers opportunities for engaging with avant-garde contemporary music. Rather than being abstract and conceptualized, it becomes very tangible, especially due to its societal implications, and through encounters with “easily audible” classical music.
12e) new perspectives for music from different cultures & religions
In the dialogue of different musical cultures and traditions, theoretical, instrument-specific, and practical knowledge is gained, expanding and enriching one’s expressive possibilities. Music, as a tool for non-violent communication, fosters appreciation and understanding of pluralism.
The various, often interreligious formats allow people from different religious backgrounds—or none at all—to experience dialogue and encounter spaces.
13. performance & new concert formats
asambura seeks to make sonic dimensions visually tangible and, therefore, develops new concert formats, spatial concepts, and interdisciplinary collaborations.
14. rethinking and hearing cultures of memory and futures in a new plural way
asambura aims to make the voices of victims of discrimination, violence, and oppression from various times and cultures audible, while calling for civil courage. In this context, subtle reminders of sonic (symbolic) references are also made effective.
© 2025 asambura ensemble
