Organ Meets Electronics
New Worlds of Sound in Weimar at the Fourth “Day of Young Organ Music”
What does the organ sound like in the digital age? What new soundscapes emerge when a centuries-old instrument meets interactive electronics and experimental music? These questions will be explored at the fourth “Day of Young Organ Music” on Wednesday, November 11, at the FRANZ LISZT University of Music in Weimar. Under the theme “Contemporary Organ Art and Interactive Electronics,” the renowned organist, composer, and university professor Prof. Franz Danksagmüller from Lübeck will be the guest of honor.
A panel discussion, a master class, and a closing concert invite attendees to rediscover the organ as an instrument of the present and the future. Franz Danksagmüller is one of the most innovative figures in the contemporary organ scene. For many years, the combination of organ and electronics has been a central focus of his artistic work. In his projects, traditional organ sounds merge with digital technologies, improvisation, and experimental forms of composition.
The theme day kicks off at 12:00 p.m. with a panel discussion in Room 014 of the Am Palais university building. Franz Danksagmüller will provide insights into his artistic work and discuss new forms of expression, technological developments, and future prospects for the art of organ playing.
In the subsequent master class from 2:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., students from the Weimar University of Music and pupils from the Schloss Belvedere Music High School will work together with the guest lecturer on the three instruments of the Belvedere Organ Cosmos. The focus will be on experimental playing techniques, innovative sound concepts, and the creative interplay between the organ and electronics.
The musical highlight will be the closing concert in the Great Hall of the Schloss Belvedere Music High School at 7:30 p.m. Together with Prof. Martin Sturm and students from the organ classes, Franz Danksagmüller will present a concert evening that brings to life the diverse expressive possibilities of contemporary organ art, ranging from improvisation to sound experimentation and electronics.
Since 2019, the Experimental Studio for Organ at the FRANZ LISZT University of Music in Weimar, under the direction of Prof. Martin Sturm, has been promoting new artistic approaches in organ and church music, organ building, and the art of improvisation. With the “Day of Young Organ Music,” held annually since 2023, it offers a forum for current developments in the organ scene and for exchange between established artists and the next generation of musicians.
At the same time, the event series is dedicated to the memory of composer Hans-Joachim Hespos (1938–2022), who was closely associated with the Experimental Organ Studio. His experimental approach to sound and his search for new forms of musical expression continue to serve as a source of artistic inspiration. The fourth “Day of Young Organ Music” builds on this idea and showcases the creative potential that lies in the intersection of organ tradition, contemporary music, and new technologies.
Admission to the closing concert is free.
[November 9, 2026]