George Antheil (1900–1959) was an American avant-garde composer, pianist, and inventor known for his radical musical style and innovative spirit. Often dubbed the "Bad Boy of Music," Antheil made his mark in the early 20th century with bold compositions that challenged traditional norms, combining dissonance, mechanical rhythms, and experimental instrumentation. He was particularly fascinated with the intersection of technology and music, a theme that permeated his work—including his infamous Ballet Mécanique (1924), a piece originally scored for synchronized player pianos, airplane propellers, and sirens.
Antheil’s songs are lesser-known yet deeply compelling.. These vocal works, written across various periods of his career, present a more intimate and lyrical side of the composer. Though far removed from the explosive energy of his orchestral and piano music, his songs retain his signature wit, rhythmic precision, and inventive harmonies. They often set texts by poets such as James Joyce, Ezra Pound, and other literary modernists, reflecting Antheil's deep engagement with contemporary intellectual circles.
The Songs reveal the evolution of Antheil’s musical language—from the early Dadaist-influenced miniatures to more mature, expressive works marked by greater emotional depth and nuance. They bridge European modernism and American innovation, merging cabaret, classical lieder, and jazz idioms.
Praised for her voice, described as "seductively confident, with an astral top register and penetrating power" (Oper!) and "utterly enchanting" (Tagesspiegel), the young mezzo-soprano Alice Lackner has swiftly captivated audiences in many of the world’s leading classical music stages. She worked with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin and its chief conductor, Vladimir Jurowski, as well as with the lautten compagney Berlin. She has performed with renowned orchestras such as the Konzerthausorchester Berlin and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, while in the field of historically informed performance, she has worked with leading baroque ensembles, including Ensemble 1700 (under the direction of Dorothee Oberlinger), L’Orfeo and La Banda.
Philip Mayers is an Australian pianist of great versatility, enjoying a reputation as a sought-after chamber music partner, accompanist, vocal coach, and pianist, the latter especially in the field of New Music, where he has been involved in the premières of more than one hundred new works. His concert performances have taken him to leading festivals such as Montreux, Aldeburgh, La Roque d’Anthéron, La Folle Journée (Nantes), Schleswig-Holstein and Kissinger Sommer.
