Biennale Musica 2024: 68th edition focuses on absolute music with techno and jazz
The 68th International Festival of Contemporary Music, a segment of the Venice Biennale, is scheduled to take place from September 26 to October 11, 2024, under the theme "Absolut Music." Director Lucia Ronchetti highlights the intrinsic value of music. The festival's agenda features ten distinct sections, including Polyphonies at Teatro La Fenice and Absolute Jazz. A key event will be Solo Electronics at Forte Marghera, showcasing artists such as Sam Barker and Tim Hecker. Additionally, Biennale College Musica 2024 will select 11 young musicians from a pool of 408 applicants. Last year's festival drew more than 19,000 visitors. Concerts will be hosted in historic locations, including St. Mark's Basilica, where the Cappella Marciana Choir will perform on October 10. The festival partners with Berlin's CTM and Ars Electronica.
Key facts
- 68th International Festival of Contemporary Music runs Sept 26–Oct 11, 2024
- Theme: 'Absolut Music' (Musica Assoluta) focusing on pure sound forms
- Director: Lucia Ronchetti
- Ten sections including Polyphonies, Listening/Hearing, Absolute Jazz, Solo Electronics
- Solo Electronics at Forte Marghera Padiglione 30 with Sam Barker, Tim Hecker, Cecilia Tosh, Richard Devine, Pan Daijing, Søs Gunver Ryberg, Muqata'a, Zsolt Sörés/Ahad, Robert Machiri
- Light design by Theresa Baumgartner
- Biennale College Musica 2024: 11 musicians under 30 from 408 applicants in 58 countries
- Last year: 19,000+ attendees, mostly young; DJ sets introduced
- Two photographers in residence to document audience
- Venues: Arsenale, Teatro La Fenice, churches, Marghera, Mestre
- Collaborations with CTM Berlin and Ars Electronica Linz
- DAAD Berlin commissions for Muqata'a and Zsolt Sörés/Ahad
- Final concert Oct 10 at St. Mark's Basilica: Cappella Marciana Choir, Marco Gemmani, works by Lisa Streich, Palestrina, Giovanni Croce
Entities
Artists
- Lucia Ronchetti
- Sam Barker
- Tim Hecker
- Cecilia Tosh
- Richard Devine
- Pan Daijing
- Søs Gunver Ryberg
- Muqata'a
- Zsolt Sörés/Ahad
- Robert Machiri
- Theresa Baumgartner
- Marco Gemmani
- Lisa Streich
- Pierluigi da Palestrina
- Giovanni Croce
- Thierry Coduys
Institutions
- Biennale Musica
- Venice Biennale
- Teatro La Fenice
- Arsenale
- Forte Marghera
- Basilica di San Marco
- Cappella Marciana
- Biblioteca Marciana
- DAAD Berlin
- CTM Berlin
- Ars Electronica Linz
- Artribune
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Marghera
- Mestre
- Berlin
- Germany
- Linz
- Austria
- Atalanta
- China
- Denmark
- Palestine
- Hungary
- South Africa
- Mozambique
- Canada
- Ireland