“The performances of the STUDIO PERCUSSION graz are conceived of and made in a way which is like the signature of art on a holy place, like the Pieta in the Petersdom in Rome: room-filling, awe-inspiring, and immovable, although the room has been exited already. I want to hammer acoustic sculptures out of the air, which the listener takes with them, even after they leave the room, the last instrument is packed in its case, and the room is locked behind the last visitor. The next day the visitor should be nagged by the question: What was it exactly that I heard and saw last night?”.
If one looks to name on the most influential people on the music scene in Graz, then there is no way around Günther Meinhart, who has, for decades been a cornerstone of the Graz music scene in the presentation, curating, and production of all things percussion-art related. ”STUDIO PERCUSSION graz” represents the fruits of his genius, and his other projects such as the Studio Percussion School, Austrian Percussion Camp, Night of Percussion and Faces and Places continue to offer percussion oriented music to music-lovers of all ages.
The Studio Percussion graz was founded in 1979 and has remained Meinhart’s main medium of expression since then. Meinhart explains, “My personal and artistic focus has been on my ensemble “STUDIO PERCUSSION graz” for almost 30 years, and I greatly appreciate this ensemble and all the musicians, video artists, technicians and other creative people who have worked with me during this time and within this formation. The “STUDIO PERCUSSION graz” is a huge brush with which I have the possibility to paint sometimes beautiful, sometimes raspy, mostly interesting, and joyful acoustic pictures, and to leave them behind in the rooms where they are created. For me it is a great honor.”
Stylistically the ensemble lies between contemporary music and the repertoire of percussive music from the last century. The ensemble also works intensively with young national and international composer together, who often work out new works which keeps the ensemble on the cutting edge. The core of the ensemble is made up of six drummers, who depending on necessity, can be expanded to include a host of other percussion instruments. The ensemble has been on international tour, including most of the European Union, Israel, United States and South Korea. Orbiting around the project “STUDIO PERCUSSION graz” are a host of satellite projects, which are based on the expertise and know-how of the ensembles, and continually expand and add to the diversity of its output.
The first of these satellite projects was the foundation of the STUDIO PERCUSSION school in 1993. Over 100 students, from beginners to professional are given instruction and in every musical direction. Furthermore, the school offers instruction in studio production, E-Drum, sequencing, MIDI, and live sound set up, amongst others. Meinhart explains, “The schools offers for the most part individual instruction. The children begin with partner or group instruction, with between two and three children per group. From the second or third year on they began with their individual instruction, in order that they make quick process through technical training. In any case they have the possibility to join ensembles where they can communicate socially and musically.” The wuality of the instruction and students training at the school was recently put on display when 12 members of the school made it to the semi-finals in the Austrian television talent show “The Big Chance”.
Starting in 2007, and after years of preparation and planning, the “Night of Percussion” was born, a concert platform which gives students the opportunity to test out their skills in an international flavoered context. Following this was the “Austrian Percussion Camp”, a percussion workshop hosted in Carinthia with a host of international guest lecturers, and also the cooperation with the music festival “La Strada” and the drum theater and cross art-platform performance group “WUMM”. “WUMM” is a project which carves sound sculptures out of space, combines picture and sound into one medium which produces a pleasing cacophony of sound. It is a project which strives to visually manifest sound without coddling the audience. And the show just grooves like crazy.” Explains the founder.
One of the youngest projects is “Faces and Places” which brings people together from all over the world, such as Brasil, Burkina Faso, Italy, Cuba, Austria and Venezuela and is another corss-over platform combing film, video, music, performance and theater into a show about their lives and art, and illustrates their path to and through Austria, a lifestyle which is akin to a high wire act. Although Hünter Meinhart’s son, Raphael is an already formidable contender in the music world, he isn’t giving retirement much of a thought at this point. On his changing lifestyle he explains, “ When I founded my ensemble Studio Percussion, music was the most important thing for me. But now I enjoy the happiness of family life, and it gives me grounding and flows back into the art.” We look forward to the next, and perhaps many surprises that Günter Meinhart still has up his sleeve.
Link: www.studiopercussion.com