KlassicFest | IKG Institute | Canónigos Theater, La Granja de San Ildefonso, Segovia, Spain | 14.04.2024
K-Os Groups I ONoff Ensemble
Pedro Pablo Cámara, concept and concert direction
CSKG | production
Track13 | technical direction
The concert as artistic object
Following Gülke’s perspective on the historiography of the concert, the concert has historically functioned as a musical form in constant evolution, adapting to the social and cultural transformations of each period (Gülke, 1994). Beyond its most obvious function as a vehicle for the dissemination of music, the concert can be understood as a space of encounter between performers and audience, shaped by changing aesthetic and cultural conditions. Within contemporary artistic practice, this evolving nature of the concert has prompted renewed interest in its potential as an artistic form in itself.
In this research, our interest extends beyond the individual musical work as an autonomous entity to its integration within a cohesive and meaningful concert programme. The question of how works relate to one another within a concert setting - and how these relationships shape audience perception - has become a central concern for both artistic practice and artistic research. The traditional model of presenting works of diverse origin as the structural basis of a concert programme does not always generate a coherent experiential or dramaturgical trajectory. This observation has led to the exploration of alternative formats in which the concert itself becomes the primary artistic object.
Rather than focusing exclusively on the creation of new repertoire, our research addresses the ways in which musical works may be presented and interconnected within a staged concert context. The object of study thus shifts from the production of individual works to the construction of relationships between them. In this sense, the concert is approached as a compositional and dramaturgical structure requiring processes of planning, experimentation, and reflection comparable to those involved in the creation of a musical work (Piencikowski, 2007).
Several contemporary artistic practices have explored similar approaches to the concert as an integrated artistic form. Research initiatives such as MusicExperiment21, developed at the Orpheus Institute (Ghent), have investigated experimental performance practices that move beyond the conventional reproduction of repertoire, proposing the concert as a site for artistic and epistemic experimentation. Likewise, collectives working at the intersection of music theatre and performance, such as DieOrdnungderDinge, have developed concert formats in which sound, gesture, image, and spatial design interact within unified dramaturgical structures.
These practices challenge conventional distinctions between concert, theatre, and performance, proposing hybrid artistic environments in which perception and meaning emerge through the interaction of multiple media.
Within our own artistic trajectory, previous staged concert projects developed in collaboration with the composer Alberto Bernal have explored the concert as a unified artistic structure. In works such as The show must go on, inspired by Guy Debord’s reflections on the society of spectacle, diverse musical and performative materials were brought together to construct a dramaturgically continuous concert experience. Rather than presenting independent works, these projects sought to articulate conceptual and perceptual relationships across the programme, addressing the concert as a space for critical reflection on contemporary modes of representation and spectatorship. These experiences function as direct precedents for Transmutations and inform its methodological and artistic orientation.
Within this expanded field, Transmutations positions itself as a staged concert conceived as a single artistic structure. Rather than presenting a sequence of independent works, the project constructs a dramaturgical continuum in which repertoire, performative action, visual elements, and spatial organisation form an integrated whole. The concert thus becomes both the subject and the outcome of artistic research: a site in which relationships between works, performers, and audience are explored and reconfigured.
By approaching the concert as an autonomous artistic object, this project seeks to contribute to ongoing discussions on the theatricalisation of musical performance and the transformation of the concert format within contemporary artistic practice. The staged concert is understood not simply as a means of presenting music, but as a performative environment in which meaning emerges through the interaction of musical, visual, and spatial elements.
Structure and narrative
The staged concert unfolds as a continuous dramaturgical environment in which conventional structural markers - such as the clear beginning and ending - are reconsidered rather than simply removed. For centuries, these elements have framed the concert experience, providing orientation and closure. Here, they are approached as flexible devices rather than fixed conventions. The intention is not to replace traditional structures with new dogmas, but to expose how these markers shape perception and expectation.
Dramaturgy is not located exclusively in the musical score or in the sequence of works that constitute the programme. It emerges from the interaction between all elements involved in the concert situation. Gesture, lighting, projections, staging, dress code, spatial arrangement, voice-over, printed materials, video, audience presence and venue are treated as components of equal relevance. None functions as mere support; each participates in the construction of a shared performative environment.
The opening of the concert - deliberately named *principio* rather than “inicio” - operates as an activation rather than a conventional start. A voice-over generated through artificial intelligence introduces the theme of transformation and invites the audience into a reflective mode of listening. This initial moment establishes a conceptual and perceptual frame without fully delimiting the beginning. Performers gradually occupy the space while the voice unfolds, dissolving the boundary between preparation and performance. The transition into Strauss’s "Metamorphosen" emerges from this shared space rather than from a clearly marked start.
Spatial distribution becomes a central dramaturgical element. Performers positioned both on stage and within the audience create a fluid environment in which distinctions between performer and listener are temporarily destabilised. Works are not presented as isolated entities but as interconnected moments within a continuous temporal structure.
In “Story”, the construction of a domestic atmosphere and the gradual incorporation of performers generate a collective presence that extends beyond conventional hierarchies.
Rethinking the concert format
The twenty-first century and its social dynamics demand the development of new forms of artistic expression, while highlighting the need to rethink traditional artistic models. The concert format that has prevailed for centuries is now showing signs of exhaustion (Sloboda, 2010), prompting a reconsideration of its function within contemporary artistic practice. Numerous artistic manifestations seek a new voice adapted to the transformations of today’s world, particularly in a context shaped by the emergence of the internet, new technologies, and the reconfiguration of relationships between work, author, performer, and audience.
In recent years, the boundaries of so-called “classical” music have gradually blurred. Increasingly, artists explore the concert as a form of expression that integrates other artistic disciplines and technological developments, challenging traditional aesthetic conventions and the notion of fixed musical genres. In this context, the concert can no longer be understood solely as a musical performance but as an artistic act unfolding through interaction with audiences situated within a highly technological society (Saunders, 2019). Such perspectives underline the need for research into the evolving possibilities of the concert format and its capacity to function as a space of multisensory experience.
The classic concert format now appears, in many cases, as a symbol of inherited cultural structures that require reconsideration in the era of digital and performative transformation. Works such as Hello! demonstrate the dissolution of traditional roles in a dynamic exchange of creative energy, where interdisciplinary approaches contribute to new forms of musical expression. Within this expanded field, music increasingly becomes a multisensory experience that challenges conventional perceptions of space, time, and the performing body.
This movement emerges alongside practices associated with music theatre and performative concert forms, in which the performer becomes part of the scene and an object of study in itself (Lizarazu, 2018).
The piece unfolds first as an expanded ensemble and then in a reduced configuration, allowing the audience to perceive transformation through repetition and variation. Movement between stage and audience reinforces this sense of continuity, blurring the boundaries that normally separate observation from participation.
The direct encounter with the audience - traditionally placed at the end of a concert - is repositioned within the central part of the dramaturgy. Questions addressed to the audience concerning listening habits, expectations, and experiences of contemporary music introduce a reflexive dimension. Rather than functioning as a post-concert discussion, this moment becomes part of the work itself and seeks to activate the audience as participants within the dramaturgical structure. Among the questions posed were: “Why do you believe there is resistance in some audiences to certain contemporary works?”; “Would you prefer attending a concert that fully caters to your pre-existing interests?”; “Have you ever attended a staged concert before?”; and “As regular listeners, do you prefer a more stylistically linear concert, or are you drawn to mixed-format proposals that unite different musical forms and art practices?” These questions did not aim to produce definitive answers but to open a shared space of reflection. While the dialogue unfolded, performers prepared the subsequent work, allowing conversation and performance to coexist. The encounter thus formed a transitional space in which reflection and performance overlapped.
In contrast to the reconfiguration of the beginning and central sections, the concert retains a recognisable ending. After the final work, performers take a collective bow. This decision reflects a conscious negotiation with convention: not all traditional markers are removed, but their function is reconsidered. The ending operates simultaneously as closure and as a reminder of the historical structures from which the staged concert emerges.
Structure and narrative are not imposed upon the programme from outside but arise from the interaction of musical, spatial and performative elements. The staged concert is constructed as a single evolving form in which continuity, transformation and perception operate together. In this sense, the concert is experienced not as a sequence of works but as a unified artistic object unfolding in time.
In this context and - motivated by the observation of diverse contemporary concert practices - our interest has focused on the development of a format that transcends genre and stylistic categorization: the staged concert conceived as an artwork in itself. For decades, significant efforts have been devoted to designing concerts capable of engaging audiences through thematic or monographic programming. However, redefining the concert format itself as an artistic object constitutes a distinct line of research and forms the basis of the project presented here.
Transmutations seeks to develop a concert program that functions simultaneously as a subject of study and as a model for emerging artistic practices. The project aims to involve the audience as active agents within a shared process of musical and perceptual transformation (Cook, 2019), while exploring the potential of the staged concert as a dramaturgical structure. Using a methodology rooted in artistic research, the concert is approached as a dramaturgical (indeed postdramatic) space (Lehmann, 2006 [1999]) in which all elements traditionally marginal to the classical concert -space, lighting, projections, text, and expanded instrumental practices- are integrated into a hybrid artistic format.
Within this framework, the concept of transformation becomes central. Transformation is understood here not as a stylistic category but as a process affecting the relationships between repertoire, performers, and audience experience. The inclusion of works by Richard Strauss, John Cage, and Alexander Schubert reflects not only their artistic value but also their capacity to contribute to this overarching dramaturgical and conceptual trajectory. The staged concert thus operates as a continuous process of reconfiguration in which musical interpretation, spatial design, and performative presence converge.
Although developed within an educational environment, the project does not position pedagogy as its primary objective. Rather, the participation of students functions as a research environment through which the staged concert format can be explored collectively. By encouraging performers to assume expanded roles - as interpreters, co-creators, and agents within the dramaturgical construction - the project investigates new forms of artistic collaboration and performer agency. This laboratory-like dimension contributes to the broader aim of redefining the concert as an autonomous artistic object within contemporary practice.
TRANSFORMATIONS
The concept of transformation constitutes the central axis of Transmutations.
In Transmutations, transformation is understood as a dramaturgical and performative principle rather than merely a musical procedure. The term refers to a set of interconnected shifts affecting musical material, performer agency, sound production, and audience perception. Each work in the program contributes to this broader process, allowing the staged concert to unfold as a continuous reconfiguration of roles, meanings, and experiences. Transformation thus operates simultaneously at musical, performative, and perceptual levels, shaping the concert itself as an evolving artistic object and as a unified dramaturgical process.
Textural (Metamorphosen, Strauss). Following Rudolf Leopold’s lead, this transformation results from the 1996 adaptation of the original scoring for 23 string instruments to a septet.
Timbre-based (Metamorphosen, Strauss). This transformation stems from the adaptation of the string instruments to various saxophones in the arrangement we developed during 2023 and 2024.
Motivic (Metamorphosen, Strauss). Richard Strauss’s writing exhibits a rich and complex motivic development, which is part of his compositional craft and entails a metamorphosis of the musical material itself.
Of the performer (Living Room Music, Cage). Here we witness the transformation of the performer, now understood as an extended performer, or rather, a media actor—an artist who expands their role to become a musician who also performs and is prepared to interpret with or without their instrument.
Of sound and instruments (Hello!, Schubert). During the performance, the images and symbols projected on the screen are imitated, creating a translation of the instrument's role and its sound.
Of the audience. We aim to redefine the role of the audience in the concert, which transforms to take on a more active part in the experience.
Of the dramaturgical process. Taken together, these layers of transformation articulate the staged concert as a unified dramaturgical structure rather than a sequence of independent works. The concert is thus conceived as an autonomous artistic object in which musical, visual, and performative elements are fully integrated. Transformation operates simultaneously at multiple levels, affecting the musical material, the role of the performer, and the experience of the audience. Drawing on postdramatic perspectives (Lehmann), the staged concert unfolds as a performative environment in which experience, rather than representation, becomes central.
Research laboratory
The methodological approach of Transmutations emerges directly from artistic practice. Rather than applying a predefined research model, the project developed its own working methods through the process of creating a staged concert conceived as an artistic object. In this sense, methodology and artistic production evolved simultaneously, shaping each other throughout the process.
Following perspectives within artistic research that emphasise the capacity of practice to generate new forms of knowledge (Assis, 2018; Schwab, 2013), the project approaches the concert not as a fixed format but as a field of experimentation. The absence of long-established formalised research procedures in artistic practice (López-Cano, 2020) requires flexible and adaptive methodologies capable of responding to the changing conditions of creative work. Rather than adopting scientific models directly, this research integrates elements of rigour, reflection, and documentation within an open and iterative artistic process.
A central aspect of the methodology was the construction of a collaborative laboratory in which performers, students, and production teams participated in the development of the staged concert. The involvement of final-year undergraduate students did not function primarily as a pedagogical objective but as a research environment through which the concert format could be tested and transformed. Their varying levels of experience - particularly in relation to contemporary repertoire and performative practices - generated a productive space of negotiation in which assumptions about concert presentation and performer roles were continuously re-examined.
KlassikFest Festival
Katarina Gurska Foundation
Canónigos Theatre – IKG Campus
La Granja de San Ildefonso (Segovia)
April 14, 2024 / 12:30 PM
K-os Groups and ONoff Ensemble
Contemporary music and saxophone ensembles from the CSKG Madrid
The following works form the dramaturgical trajectory of Transmutations.
Rather than functioning as independent pieces, they operate as interconnected moments within a continuous staged concert in which transformation unfolds across musical, performative, and perceptual dimensions.
Transmutations
Metamorphosen (1945) – Richard Strauss (1864–1949)
For saxophone septet. Arrangement by Rudolf Leopold and Pedro P. Cámara
Living Room Music. Story (1940) – John Cage (1912–1992)
Hello! (2016) – Alexander Schubert (1979)
*Full program available in attached materials
Weekly working sessions over the course of an academic year combined rehearsal, technical experimentation, and collective reflection. Alongside the preparation of the repertoire and the arrangement of Strauss’s Metamorphosen, time was dedicated to discussing the current state of the concert format and exploring alternative dramaturgical possibilities. These discussions informed the conceptual development of the project, allowing the theme of transformation to emerge not as a predetermined framework but as a shared point of inquiry.
The collaborative process also involved testing multiple narrative and scenic hypotheses before arriving at the final structure presented in the concert. Many initial ideas were discarded, revealing the extent to which the staged concert had to be constructed through experimentation rather than through the application of a fixed model. The specific characteristics of the performance venue - the Teatro Canónigos in La Granja de San Ildefonso - further shaped the dramaturgical decisions, reinforcing the site-responsive nature of the project.
Throughout the process, methodology remained in constant transformation. Rather than seeking definitive solutions, the project embraced the open-ended condition of artistic research, in which experimentation, partial success, and revision form part of knowledge production. As Lucia D’Errico suggests, artistic research operates as an ongoing field of experimentation that remains necessarily incomplete (D’Errico, 2018). Within this framework, Transmutations understands the staged concert as both the outcome and the testing ground of an evolving research process.
