The Sound of
liste
ning
Lending an Ear
as Political Force
13.– 14. June
2025
Dear Friends of the Mahler Forum,
Unbelievable! In 2025, the Mahler Forum is taking place for the fifth time. We cordially invite you to the fifth Mahler Forum! Under the motto The Sound of Listening—Lending an Ear as Political Force, we direct our focus towards a topic of utmost topicality and relevance.
Listening is much more than absorbing information passively—it is a deliberate act of empathy, solidarity, creativity, and participation. It opens up new perspectives, stimulates change and resistance, and encourages us to open up to the world.
What has meanwhile become the Mahler Forum’s unique selling point is the awarding of a composition commission—powered by Kelag—to promote New Music. This has also been continued in 2025. We look forward to the world premiere of the work by Tinkara Zupan, a young composer and student at the Gustav Mahler Private University.
In an exciting dialogue, sociologist Iris Dankemeyer, author of the book Die Erotik des Ohrs [The Eroticism of the Ear], and philosopher Martin Mettin will explore the role of listening in our societies.
Artist Toni Schmale, by exploring the historical site of Gustav Mahler’s Composing Hut at Maiernigg, has developed a site-specific work in line with this year’s theme.
Let us explore together how we can build bridges, facilitate understanding, and initiate positive change in our world through attentive listening.
The Mahler Forum for Music and Society looks forward to welcoming you again!
Felicitas Thun-Hohenstein, Morten Solvik & section.a
Friday, June 13, 6.00–8.30 pm
Meeting point: Entrance Künstlerhaus Klagenfurt, Goethepark 1, 9020 Klagenfurt
Just Follow the Sound!
A musical circuit through the gardens around the Künstlerhaus Klagenfurt
The Stories of Our People
World premiere of the composition commissioned from Tinkara Zupan
in collaboration with GMPU, Univ. Prof. Dr. Hakan Ulus, professor for composition and music theory
Welcome & Impulse
Felicitas Thun-Hohenstein
Morten Solvik
Listen Together—Sound Together
Circle singing and vocal improvisation with Ivan Beaufils
INTERMISSION
Ping-pong and Silence
A dialogue about listening, music, and polyphony
Sociologist Iris Dankemeyer and philosopher Martin Mettin invite you to an open conversation and meditation on the transformative power of our ears. With sound samples by Pauline Oliveros, Gustav Mahler, and Steven Takasugi.
On the commissioned composition
Morten Solvik in conversation with Tinkara Zupan and Alja Klemenc
Repeated performance of
The Stories of Our People
Saturday, June 14, 11.00 am—1.00 pm
Gustav Mahler Composing Hut Maiernigg
Meeting point: beginning of the footpath to the Composing Hut (Gustav-Mahler-Weg)
Welcome
Felicitas Thun-Hohenstein, initiator of the Mahler Forum for Music and Society
Reinhard Draxler, Board member Kelag
Clusterfuck Experimental Sound Performance for Electric Violin by Tony Wagner with Schmale Flasche in an Afterhour Setting by Wally Salner
Artist Talk
Tony Schmale, Wally Salner, Tony Wagner
Visitors to the Composing Hut and passersby are warmly invited to come and see the artistic scultpure Schmale Flasche by Toni Schmale between June 14 and October 21 2025.
Due to limited room capacity, you are asked to register beforehand at → info@mahler-forum.org. Admission is free.
Filming and Photography during the event
Your personal rights and the protection of your data are important to us. We thus direct your attention to the fact that this event will be documented by filming and photography. The resulting images may be published for the purpose of covering the event on our website and the websites of our partners, on social media channels, and in the regional press in order to provide relevant information to the public. By attending the event, you agree to their use as stated above.