Showcase Festival

Classical:NEXT presents artists and ensembles from around the world who push the boundaries and extend the horizons of art music.

The Showcase Festival features a live concert series, spotlighting artists and productions across different formats. It offers a unique opportunity to experience multiple performances in a short amount of time.

The Festival features Daytime and Evening Showcases, Club Showcases, performances at the Innovation Award ceremony, and in true Berlin spirit, DJs at Kater Blau.

2025 Showcases

(Indonesia)

Jessica & Saodor Ensemble is a collective music ensemble that explores the musical traditions of Batak Toba, one of Indonesia’s rich cultural heritages.
Presenter: Jessica & Saodor Ensemble
May 13, 2025, 21:00
Säälchen

NYX

(UK/NZ)

NYX is a London-based collective of artists working at the intersection of choral music and electronic music performance. Led by music director Sian O’Gorman, their work explores connections between the body, architecture, and nature to create music that bridges the ancient and the futuristic.
Presenter: NYX
May 14, 2025, 13:00
Colosseum

(Faroe Islands)

The Faroe Islands may be a small country, but it boasts a thriving music scene across all genres. Someone once said that the Faroe Islands must have the largest music scene on the planet per capita—and we believe that might just be true.
Presenter: Kristina Thede Johansen
with Ólavur Jakobsen
May 12, 2025, 16:00
Colosseum

(Ukraine/Finland)

A patchwork-like recital of extra-short contemporary solo violin works between 1 and 40 seconds long. Featuring 55 pieces from 50 composers, heavily inspired by the early punk scenes this program condenses intensities into a surge played non-stop. A bit punk, a bit crazy, a bit inebriated.
Presenter: Orest Smovzh
May 12, 2025, 17:00
Colosseum

(Iceland)

The Icelandic flute septet viibra performs four works from their celebrated debut album viibra, released last year, which explores the possibilities of expanded flute playing.
Presenter: viibra
May 14, 2025, 21:30
Säälchen

(Brazil)

Brazilian composer Rafael Macedo has performed with artists such as Hermeto Pascoal and UAKTI. Talvez uma dansa is the fourth original project by Minas Gerais composer, released in 2023, by the record label Rocinante.
Presenter: Rafael Macedo
May 13, 2025, 20:00
Säälchen

(Ukraine)

DZ’OB is an electro-acoustic ensemble led by Oleksii Badin, hailing from the Ukrainian city of Dnipro and established in 2014. The group fuses classical and contemporary electronic music genres such as IDM and techno creating a distinctive and eclectic sound. Their music seamlessly bridges the realms of Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, and Baroque classical traditions, resulting in a truly unique auditory experience.
Presenter: DZ’OB
May 14, 2025, 18:00
Colosseum

(UK)

The Komuna Collective is a group of artists, DJs and musicians committed to experimentation.
Presenter: Komuna Collective
May 15, 2025, 00:15
Kater Blau

(Switzerland/Spain)

AIR is Roberto Maqueda’s first solo project, inspired by the multi-layering concept inherent to percussion. This project combines amplified instruments with solenoid valve modules, creating analog drum machines.
Presenter: Roberto Maqueda
May 14, 2025, 00:15
Kater Blau

(Turkey/Germany)

Composer, pianist and electronic artist Kaan Bulak and trumpet virtuoso Simon Höfele present their sonically immersing album “No Clouds in Haraz” in a program with their own works framed by excursions to Giacinto Scelsi and improvisations.
Presenter: Kaan Bulak Presenter: Simon Höfele
May 13, 2025, 23:15
Kater Blau

(Hungary)

The new production of Bartók Prize winning jazz and contemporary singer Veronika Harcsa, harpist Anastasia Razvalyaeva and composer Bálint Bolcsó translates Schubert’s music into borderless musical language.
Presenter: Schubert NOW!
May 14, 2025, 22:30
Säälchen

(Taiwan)

Twincussion delivers dynamic percussion performances that seamlessly blend Taiwanese folk music, classical pieces, and electronic elements.
Presenter: Jen-Ting Chien Presenter: Jen-Yu Chien
May 14, 2025, 20:30
Säälchen

(USA)

Formed in 2020 in New York, the Anzû Quartet is an all-star ensemble dedicated to the music of our time and the recent canon.
Presenter: Anzû Quartet
May 13, 2025, 22:00
Säälchen

Tarozzi-Walker Duo (Italy)

A contemporary re-interpretation of female folksongs of northern Italy.
Presenter: Silvia Tarozzi Presenter: Deborah Walker
May 14, 2025, 12:00
Colosseum

(UK/Ireland)

A spellbinding collaboration between two musical powerhouses.
Presenter: Catrin Finch Presenter: Aoife Ní Bhriain
May 13, 2025, 17:30
Colosseum

(Indonesia/UK)

Aris Daryono is an Indonesian composer, traditional gamelan musician, and educator based in London. His music is deeply rooted in his gamelan heritage, which he explores and integrates with Western ensembles and electronic elements to craft distinctive soundscapes.
Presenter: Aris Daryono
May 13, 2025, 16:30
Colosseum

(Australia)

Jane Aubourg is a composer, violinist and zine maker based on Dhawaral Country (Wollongong, NSW Australia). In her major solo project she composes and performs on Anita Johnson’s sculpture Play Me Mend Me.
Presenter: Jane Aubourg
May 13, 2025, 15:30
Colosseum

About Showcases

What is a Showcase?

Classical:NEXT Showcases are selected by an international jury of experts to present a wide range of high-quality artists and productions in every category from early to contemporary, traditional to experimental. Soloists and small ensembles as well as large ensembles, opera productions or musical theatre projects can be presented through a showcase concert.

Late-night showcases offer the chance to see outstanding NEXT artists perform at Holzmarkt 25 in an intimate and relaxed atmosphere, together with Classical:NEXT DJs.

The Opening Artists take the stage at the Opening Ceremony of Classical:NEXT, where the event kicks off! This gala celebrates the NEXT music and fresh ideas, setting the scene for discovery. Stay tuned for updates!