"Voices of Nature"
"Artists like Bach and Beethoven built churches and temples up on the heights. I wanted to build homes for people in which they feel happy and at home."
— Edvard Grieg
As in previous years, we would like to orient our 2027 events programme around an overarching theme. Under the title "Voices of Nature", we devote ourselves to the manifold relationship between music and nature – as a source of inspiration, a place of longing and an artistic counterpart.
Two anniversaries provide the starting point for the theme. In 1877 – exactly 150 years ago – Edvard Grieg, plagued by the noise of the big city, was drawn to the seclusion of the Hardangerfjord in western Norway. Amid the breathtaking landscape, he built a composing hut that he affectionately called "Kompost". With this theme, we also wish to connect to the Beethoven anniversary. Works such as the Pastoral Symphony are exemplary of his artistic engagement with landscape, atmosphere and the relationship between people and the environment, which would go on to shape many generations of music history.
Nature was an inexhaustible source of inspiration not only for these two composers. How did composers encounter nature? Where did they live and work? How did landscapes, seasons or experiences of nature influence their artistic creation? What role do images of nature play today – in times of ecological crises and new perspectives on the environment and sustainability?
We welcome proposals for concerts, performances, readings or interdisciplinary formats that address these questions and bring new perspectives to the historic music salon of the Grieg Meeting Place. The submission deadline is 31 August 2026.
What we are looking for
Since its founding, the Grieg Meeting Place Leipzig has seen itself as a place of musical encounter and cultural-historical reflection. Once a month, on Sundays at 2:00 p.m., we invite audiences to salon concerts in which we cultivate this tradition. The historic salon of the Peters music publishing house provides a unique setting for this: here, artistic personalities such as Edvard Grieg, Gustav Mahler and Max Reger once met with Leipzig publishers and presented their works.
With the theme year "Voices of Nature", we would like to build on this tradition while at the same time creating a space in which historical and contemporary perspectives on nature in music come together. We are interested both in biographical aspects – such as the retreats and working methods of composers – and in sonic, literary or social images of nature. With two large-format oil paintings of the western Norwegian landscape on the front wall of the music salon, a unique setting has been created for this theme.
About the content
We are looking for programmes that take up references to nature in music and art in a creative and reflective way. We expressly welcome a range of perspectives and formats – historical, experimental, scholarly, performative or interdisciplinary.
Possible approaches could include:
- Beethoven and nature: How is the experience of nature expressed in his works and letters? What effect did his Pastoral have on later generations?
- Artistic retreats: What significance did places such as Grieg's composing hut, Mahler's summer houses or other working places in nature have for music?
- Sounds of nature and soundscapes in music of various eras
- Music and environmental awareness: What role does nature play in contemporary art today?
- Connections between music, literature, fine art and landscape
The programme should convey an idea or a question, ideally also in a moderated form.
What we offer
In our recently restored music salon, the atmosphere of the years around 1900 comes to life. Alongside the original wood and ceiling panelling from 1905, the historic interior gives the room an authentic ambience.
Our facilities
- Room size: approx. 50 m²
- Grand piano: Steinway B (built in 1904, very good condition)
- Furnishings: seating for max. 60 visitors; several small tables
- Event electronics: screen, projector, 4 loudspeakers
As part of our annual programme, we pay fees to all performers. As a non-profit association, however, our funds are limited. To get an idea of the total costs to be expected, we therefore ask for a preliminary financing plan.
How does it work?
Applications including all the documents listed below can be submitted by e-mail no later than 31 August 2026. All proposals will then be reviewed. The board of the Grieg Meeting Place decides on the projects that are accepted. Arrangements regarding the exact date of the event are made in person.
The application should include:
- Proposal / project outline (max. 200 words)
- CV of the performers involved
- if applicable, a list of the required technical equipment and facilities
- if applicable, documents or materials from previous performances
- a financing plan with proposed fees and any costs that may arise
Contact
Grieg-Begegnungsstätte Leipzig
Talstraße 10 · 04103 Leipzig
T: 0341 99 39 661
M: info@edvard-grieg.de
W: www.edvard-grieg.de