“. . . alone in my room, I am the last of a lost civilization, and I vanish into the dark . . .” ‐ John Darnielle

“The series of energy transformations in the hierarchies formed by self‐organization are cascades of successive energy fractions, which explains why Mandelbrot’s fractals often describe nature.” ‐ Howard T. Odum

“. . . Ihr sanget nur von meiner Leiben; nun spricht sie meiner Treue Hohn. Ihr wart ins Wasser eingeschrieben, so fliesst den auch mit ihm davon.” ‐ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“. . . In pieces unfamiliar, it shatters all the world, crashing down moments . . .” ‐ Warren Defever

“Accustomed to traveling along underground veins, they found it easy to enter the new aquatic realm, to burst from multiple fountains, to find new mirrors, new games, new ways of enjoying the water.” ‐ Italo Calvino

“I couldn’t seem to speak, cut . . . bleeding . . . and sad. When you dream of things you don’t understand, you can’t live here . . .” ‐ Warren Defever

“In the connectedness with other processes within an overall evolution, there is a meaning which is the meaning of life. We are not the helpless subjects of evolution. We are evolution.” ‐ Erich Jantsch

“Held under these smothering waves by your strong and thick‐veined hand . . . one of these days I’m going to wriggle up on dry land.” ‐ John Darnielle

“Flow away, well‐loved songs, off to the sea of forgetfulness. No boy will delightedly sing you again, nor any girl in the time of blossoms.” ‐ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ( English approximation )

“. . . In any case, now they seem content, these maidens: in the morning you hear them singing.” ‐ Italo Calvino

Piano Trio, for violoncello, contrabass, and piano

world première by Divertimento Ensemble, dir. Sandro Gorli

leaves hook I cas.cade snowstorm leaves (2022)

Two artists (excerpt) 2023

Graveyard Dirt was premiered on the campus of the Hochschule für Musik und Theater "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" Leipzig on 22nd June 2023, by Mauricio Galeano, electric guitar, Ana Campos, viola, and Susanne Stock, accordion, of Ensemble Contemporary Insights. 

Below are notes on the piece, compiled by the composer. 

FOREWORD:

"Graveyard dirt must be got off the coffin of the dead person, on the waste of the moon at midnight . . .

"To Conjure a well, throw into the well graveyard dirt, an old pipe of a Conjure Doctor, or some devil’s snuff . . .

"Conjure as graveyard dirt is taken from a grave one day after burial . . .

"One can be Conjured by shaking hands with any one, if he has rubbed his hands with graveyard dirt . . .

"To sprinkle graveyard dirt about the yard, about a house, makes one sleepy, sluggish, naturally waste away and perish until he dies . . ."
‐ Roland Steiner ( from various informants )

Program notes from premiere concert: 

Graveyard Dirt besteht aus sieben Miniaturen. Ihre Titel und Beschreibungen sind:		

I: The Play of Thorns ( ii )
,,Wenn die Körper, die in diesen Falten eingeschlossen sind, nur von einem anderen Ort, einer anderen Art wären. Wenn nur die Dornen jetzt nicht wären.’’  - Trevor Bača ( Übersetzung Deutsch )

II: 蜕肤 蜕: Häutung, slough. 肤: Haut.

III: Ghosts push up through the soil, pale mushrooms Das Werden von begrabenen Körpern und Erde. Das Werden von Nahrung und Energie.

IV: sin pájaros, sin nubes, sin color
,,Endlich finde ich in meiner verwirrten Seele,  Wie von der dunklen Flamme der Zypressen verdunkelt wird, Die Gewissheit, dass ich nicht ganz sein kann . . .’’  - Samuel Beckett ( Übersetzung Deutsch )

V: THERE ARE NO DRY BONES HERE
Hier gibt es keine trockenen Knochen.

VI: Megtanultam gyűlölni a testemet és mindazt, amit ebben a világban megkövetel.
Mein Fleisch wird zu Erde, meine Erde zu Magie, meine Magie zu Flüchen, und die Flüche werden zu neuem Fleisch.

VII: The Play of Thorns ( iii ) / WIEDER
Forward oder Back. Wähle.

Graveyard Dirt, for electric guitar, viola, and accordion

Commission: Südwestrundfunk for the Donaueschingen Musiktage 2022

Live recording of the world première, Musica Nova Helsinki, 3 March 2023.

Performers:
Mattie Barbier, trombone
Weston Olencki, trombone
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
Janne Nisonen, conductor

Photo: Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra

where the dark earth bends (2022, rev. 2023), for RAGE Thormbones, orchestra, and electronics

Dedicated to and commissioned by the Ensemble Multilatérale and ARCo – Art, Research and Creation 2024 (Cooperation between the Mozarteum University and the Gmem Marseille)

I. on the glittering canvas
II. torn agonies
III. caresses

Program text:

The fog is dense, dynamic and it is the scene of a confrontation between agonies and expansive forces.
However, this conflict leads to a transformation, where the fog becomes a transcendental and ecstatic space.
This metamorphosis suggests a turn towards a completely contrasting and, at the same time, possible horizon.
____________________________________

French premiere on September 22, 2024

Théâtre L'échangeur in Paris, France
festival ensemble (s)

Foto: Michael Klimt

murmures et soupirs obscurs · ensemble (2023 / 2024) - festival ensemble (s)

Here is an improvisation I recorded on June 30, 2024, in classroom 310 at UdK Bundesallee, using only a piano and a mini handheld fan (no prepared piano or electronics). This sound palette is the main source of my solo piano work 'S Ori 70', dedicated to the pianist and composer Gustavo Díaz-Jerez, which will be premiered soon in the Canary Islands.

Improvisation for piano and mini fan

Sarah Nemtsov
TIKKUN (2021)
for solo ensemble (saxophone, e guitar, keyboard, drums), string orchestra and percussion

Nikel Ensemble (Patrick Stadler, Yaron Deutsch, Antoine Francoise, Brian Archinal)
Heidelberg Philharmonic Orchestra
Mino Marani, conductor

*
TIKKUN is part III of the tetralogy TZIMTZUM (2020-2023) for solo ensemble (Nikel) and orchestra
*
live recording from a concert on February 5th 2025
dlf 

TIKKUN (2021)

· From Concepción, Chile.
· https://agustincastellonmolina.com/
· agustin.castellon.molina@gmail.com

· Bari, Italy / Leipzig, Germany

Agustín Castellón Molina is a Chilean composer, pianist and educator based in Leipzig, Germany.

He has been trained in Chile, Italy, Germany, Portugal and has received lessons by C. Iannotta, Y. Robin, S. Nemtsov, F. Filidei, C. Czernowin, T. Murail, L. Lim, P. Billone, E. Reiter, F. Bedrossian, among others.

His creative approach integrates poetry, psychology, improvisation and visual arts in a cohesive and articulated process, which generates a wealth of material, such as presence charts, relational diagrams, poetic texts and narrative sketches. The results are characterized by a focus on interpretive depth, technical precision, unconventional use of objects, and meticulously and precisely defined timbral qualities that build dynamic contrasts and layers within the acoustic experience.

In Chile, he graduated with honors in 2016 from the Universidad de Concepción, where he studied piano and music pedagogy. Subsequently, he completed his Bachelor (2020) and Master (2022) in Composition at the Conservatory “Niccolò Piccinni” in Bari, Italy, under the guidance of Luca Belcastro, obtaining both degrees with summa cum laude. He is currently pursuing a Meisterklasse degree in Composition with Claus – Steffen Mahnkopf and Fabien Lévy at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater “Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy” Leipzig and a postgraduate degree in Applied Composition at the ESML, Portugal, with Michele Tadini and Luis Naón, collaborating with ensemble Recherche, Schallfeld and Alex Waite.

His music has been programmed in festivals such as Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik 2024, Festival Ensemble(s) 2024, ARCO – Art, Research and Creation Opus 2024, .abeceda Contemporary Music Festival 2025, ZfGM Festival 2021 – 24, Rondò 2020 / 22, Como Contemporary Festival 2021, Intrecci 2018, and PRISMAS 2015 – 16, his compositions have been broadcast by WDR 3 – Radio, Rai5, Rai Radio 3, Radio CEMAT, awarded prizes in international competitions, including “III ARTSOM Musical Composition Competition 2024”, “Impronta Ensemble 3rd Composition Competition 2023”, “New Music Generation” Composition Competition Kazakhstan 2023, “International Competition 2 Agosto 2022”, “Don Sante Montanaro Prize 2022”, “5th International Composition Competition Appassionato Ensemble 2021”(… ) and have been performed throughout Europe and Latinoamerica.

He has received commissions and collaborated with renowned ensembles in masterclasses, festivals, and competitions, including Ensemble Multilatérale, IEMA – Ensemble, the Orchestra of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Klangforum Wien, Appassionato Ensemble, vocal ensemble Les Métaboles, Divertimento Ensemble, Dissolution Ensemble, ensemble (con)temporary (in)sights, among others. His music has been performed by distinguished artists such as Léo Warynski, Pasquale Corrado, Claudia Chan, Matteo Cesari, Alain Billard (…).

During 2023 and 2024 he lectured composition seminars at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater “Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy” in Leipzig, and has been an organizational part of the International Cultural Platform “Germina.Cciones … – Primaveras Latinoamericanas”  created by Luca Belcastro, coordinating Workshops in Concepción, Chile, in 2015 – 2016.

From 2024 his scores are published by Edizioni Sconfinarte, Milano.