'The Possibilities of a Creative Orchestra' is a research project that serves as a preparatory phase for a postdoctoral trajectory focused on exploring performance-based applications that contribute to broadening and diversifying the canon of postwar Western ‘art’ music. Building on the insights of scholars such as Georgina Born and George E. Lewis, this research begins with the question: How might the performance practice of contemporary music evolve if it were no longer shaped by the disciplinary assumptions, boundaries, and divisions inherited from the previous century?
Specifically, this project challenges the strict separation between postwar Western classical music and experimental traditions in jazz and African American music. It aims to develop performative strategies that foster a more diverse, dynamic, and inclusive canon of postwar Western ‘art’ music. The primary focus is on the combination of composition and improvisation within the context of a large ensemble or orchestra, taking Anthony Braxton’s concept of the ‘Creative Orchestra’ as a key example.
From this perspective, Kobe Van Cauwenberghe will critically examine a wide range of repertoire examples, with a keen eye on dominant musical discourses and practices while considering the broader social contexts in which this repertoire was created. Through data collection, interviews, and practical workshops with students from the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp and the Darmstadt Summer School for New Music, the project will experiment with alternative forms of collective music-making.
The project seeks to bridge composed and improvised music practices and provide an alternative perspective on traditional orchestral pedagogy and performance. The research output will include publications, concert programs, recordings, and educational applications.
(c) Kristof Lemp
Update: March 2025
