BORIS BERGMANN Composer
Boris Bergmann’s odyssey as a musician has taken him full circle from classical music to punk rock, metal, techno, soundtracks and back again to world of classical music.
While studying piano and composition, he wrote several chamber music works which were broadcast by the German radio station HR.
He moved to Berlin to compose music for national and international film productions and television series such as Homeland and Håkan Nesser’s, Inspector Barbarotti.
Films featuring his music have won numerous awards, such as the German Film Award, Babelsberg Media Award, Cinequest Film Festival San Jose, Variety Critics Choice Karlovy Varo International Film Festival.
As a keyboard player and drummer, he toured with punk and alternative music legends includinv Kim Gordon, Dinosaur Jr. And Flipper.
Boris released three solo albums of works by Alexander Scriabin and his own piano compositions, including the Hölderlin Sonata.
He has performed at festivals and concert halls in Europe, including Sonar Festival/Barcelona, Casa da Musica/Porto, Volksbühne/Berlin amongst others.
In 2019, his work The Richter Scale was performed by Ji Liu in its original version – as a colloquy for virtuoso pianist and player piano at Steinway Hall, London.
In 2020 Boris employed influences from classical music, punk, techno and film music to create a piano cycle entitled, SLOW – Scardanelli Lieder ohne Worte (Scardanelli Songs Without Words) to celebrate the 250th birthday of the poet philosopher, Friedrich Hölderlin. He performed SLOW in a series of concerts in France and Germany.
In colloboration with actress and director Silvina Buchbauer, Boris produced the Hölderlin film “Wem sonst als dir” (To Whom Else but You) on behalf of the CCFA Nice and the German-French houses of France.
Most recently, Boris and Silvina produced a film about Alexander Scriabin in celebration of the Russian composers 150th birthday in 2022. The work was supported by the German Music Council and Neustart Kultur.
Ji Liu Biography
Described as “a major talent” by The Classical Source, Ji Liu is known as one of his generation’s most artistically and technically exciting concert pianists and as a prolific and experimental composer.
During 2021 and 2022 Ji Liu played at major concert venues throughout China performing Liszt’s 12 Transcendental Études and Bach’s keyboard compositions as well as his own compositions. He also performed the Chinese premiere of Boris Bergmann’s The Richter Scale (dedicated to Ji Liu) and the Chinese premiere of Philip Glass’s Complete Piano Etudes Books I and II.
As a soloist, Ji Liu has appeared at major venues and festivals internationally, including Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Barbican Centre and Wigmore Hall in London; Birmingham’s Symphony Hall, Bristol’s Colston Hall, Newcastle’s Sage Gateshead, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, Carnegie Hall and 92nd Street Y in New York City, Auditorium du Louvre in Paris, Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Salle Garnier Opéra de Monte-Carlo; Henley Festival, Leeds International Music Festival, Bath International Music Festival, Brighton Music Festival, Petworth Festival and Bristol Proms in the UK, Verbier and Gstaad Festivals in Switzerland and the Stavanger Chamber Music Festival in Norway.
He has performed regularly with the Philharmonia Orchestra and has worked closely with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, on its tour of China under Vasily Petrenko and at the Royal Albert Hall and its opening season concerts at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. He also performs frequently with orchestras across Europe and China.
In 2016, Ji Liu was soloist the world premiere of Ludovico Einaudi’s Piano Concerto with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra under Damian Iorio. In September 2017, he performed for His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, the Royal Family, and other distinguished guests at Dumfries House as part of Classic FM’s 25th birthday celebrations.
Ji Liu is also a prolific recording artist. Highlights include Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with Royal Academy of Music Symphonic Brass and James Watson, and the solo recording Piano Reflections released by Classic FM, which reached number one on the UK charts, Piano Encores, Pure Chopin and Fire and Water.
Ji Liu has composed works for orchestra, choir, chamber ensemble, and solo instruments. His compositions draw on diverse genres of improvisation, avant-garde, traditional Western forms and harmony, and minimalism. His Fantasia – Frozen Starry (2021) was co-commissioned by Johnson & Johnson and WABC Foundation to support children with Autism. In 2022 Heresy Records released his composition Sonata Fantasy, The Book of Moments, a work in 16 sections that is eighteen hours in length.
Ji Liu studied Piano Performance with Professor Christopher Elton and Composition with Professor Ruth Byrchmore at the Royal Academy of Music. He holds a PhD in Music from King’s College London and is a Guest Professor at Shenzhen University. Since 2018 Ji Liu has served as Head of Performance at the Kent International Piano Course.
KHAN OF FINLAND Techno Producer/DJ
Can “Khan” Oral, born of Turkish-Finnish parents is a Berlin-based theater, film, and music producer, performer and visual artist.
Khan lived in New York City from 1992-2002 where he owned the electronic record shop, Temple Records NYC. During these years he presented downtown art events and parties, led three record labels, produced works and performed with a variety of artists including, Diamanda Galas, Julee Cruise, Kim Gordon, Kid Congo Powers, Little Annie, Captain Comatose, Air Liquide, Jimi Tenor or Brigitte Fontaine with whom he won the Qwartz Award 2012 for best song in France.
Laura Mars Gallery presented his photobook/boxset Angels Of Disguise at Import/Export Kassel’s Documenta13.
Khan has participated in group and solo exhibitions at PS1/NYC, Fundacion Meyer, Mexico, Gaîté Lyrique, Paris, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin etc.
To date Khan has released over 300 physical records. His latest studio albums include, The Enlightenment Machine (2014 AlbumLabel) and Nicht Nur Sex (2017 Shitkatapult) via Radom Noize Musick, Lost Acod Tapes (2020 Further Electronix). He also collaborated on the album Wild Style Lion featuring Kim Gordon and J Mascis which was released in 2016 on I’m Single Records. He participated in Dinosaur Jr.’s 2017 European tour.
He sang and toured with the German techno duo Tiefschwarz on their latest album Left on Watergate Records. Currently he is writing and singing on Terranova’s new album to be released early 2022 on KOMPAKT.
Khan runs his own publishing company, Edition Acid and record label imprints I’m Single Records (Morr Music) and Temple Traxx. He hosts a queer monthly tea dance party called “T” at Paloma Bar or Arkaoda Berlin that features international DJ guest artists.
