Spark: creative processes in the arts and sciences

Spark: creative processes in the arts and sciences is a new concert and discussion series which aims to foster a creative exchange between music and science. Befitting the motto of the Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (MDC-BIMSB), “Breaking Boundaries”, the series invites world-class musicians, composers and scientists to share their insights and experiences in lighting the creative fire in their respective fields.

Each event in the series presents a concert –– often featuring world-premieres of new works –– and an interactive panel discussion on questions such as: what can scientists and artists learn from each other? How we can tackle current political and societal challenges creatively?

with

SooJin Anjou, pianist
www.soojinanjou.com

 

© Neda Navaee

Pianist SooJin Anjou enjoys an astonishingly varied international career as soloist, chamber musician and partner in diverse interdisciplinary projects. Born in South Korea, she was educated in the United States, Hungary and Germany.  She graduated from the Juilliard School as the only person in its history to win both of Juilliard’s undergraduate commencement prizes, for achievement and leadership in music and the liberal arts. While still a student, she was prominently featured in Asahi-TV’s documentary “New York, New Yorkers”, which was televised in many parts of Asia and released on DVD.  

SooJin Anjou is an avid performer of contemporary music, and composers have been entrusting their work to her since she was 15. She has premiered works by, among others, Valentin Silvestrov, Elena Kats-Chernin and David Del Tredici.  Her world-premiere recording of the complete piano works of electronic music legend Morton Subotnick was released to great acclaim, eliciting such praise as “magical and beguiling” (Wire Magazine, London).

As soloist, she made her Boston Symphony Orchestra debut at  age 16 with Prokofiev's 3rd Piano Concerto. She is a laureate of the Robert Schumann International Piano Competition (Zwickau, Germany) and the Orléans International Piano Competition (France).   Her broad repertoire includes more than 40 concertos, ranging from Bach to Berio, as well as the complete works of Ravel.

and
Reggie Moore, jazz piano

 

© Michael Ziolowski

The jazz pianist-composer-arranger Reggie Moore was born in New York City in 1938 as the son of Billy Moore, a renowned jazz musician. He first studied electrical engineering at Hofstra University before deciding to dedicate himself fully to music. 

He has toured in Asia, North America and Europe, working with such jazz greats as Anita O’Day, Johnny Hartmann, Betty Carter, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Gary Bartz, Woody Shaw, Benny Golson and Kenny Burrell –– to name just a few.  Jazz critic Nat Hentoff has described Reggie Moore as having a “strongly propulsive beat, crispness of articulation, and emotional directness”. 

Reggie Moore’s singular art, which he himself calls “Communicable Music”, is based not only on his mastery of the jazz tradition, but also on a deep understanding of classical composers such as Bach, Chopin and Bartók. This unique blend of wide-ranging influences informs all facets of his work: as a performer, composer and teacher.
Following in the footsteps of Dizzie Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington, Reggie had the honor of being an official Jazz Ambassador for the U.S. State Department. In this capacity, he performed in Bahrain, Qatar, Egypt and Cyprus, bringing this unique American cultural tradition to countries around the world.  
Since 1985, Reggie Moore has been living in Berlin with his wife, jazz vocalist-composer Cornelia Moore, and their daughter Jessica. As a performing composer/arranger and a dedicated teacher at the Jazz Institute Berlin (Hanns Eisler/University of the Arts Berlin), he has been shaping the German jazz scene for nearly four decades.