It seems as if the accordion is the true king of versatility. Whether folk, classical, or baroque – it can be used for a wide variety of styles and timbres, but especially for one musical genre: the tango. So, when we turn our focus to Martynas Levickis and his multifaceted instrument, we cannot fail to look to Argentina, the motherland of the tango. It is the homeland of Astor Piazzolla, who, along with the tango, brought the accordion into the concert halls. For Martynas Levickis, it is self-evident that Piazzolla and his Tango Nuevo belong there, confidently defying European classical music. So, together with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Susanne von Gutzeit, he ignites a musical firework display in the idyllic Eberbach cloister, celebrating the tango, Argentina, and South American temperament.

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Argentine Night

Eberbach Abbey

This is how international understanding works! Abel Selaocoe firmly believes in the unifying power of music. For the South African native, there are no boundaries – perhaps only in people's minds, but certainly not in music. "Where I come from, we don't immediately pigeonhole everything," he says of his early and most important artistic influence. "When I got a cello, no one said, 'Play classical music.' But they did ask: What sound can you produce with it?'" So, with great curiosity, he embarked on a journey into musical in-between worlds. In his concerts full of universal musicality, the voice, alongside the cello, becomes an important instrument, and the entire body becomes a means of communication. In his joint concert with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, he brings works with very different musical roots together, bringing the world a little closer together.

Abel Selaocoe: “African roots”

Abel Selaocoe finds his home in the cello – and at the same time a means of expressing the many different kinds of "home." For the South African musician, people, melodies, vocal techniques, spiritual rituals, and the all-encompassing love are also important places of refuge, as he explores them musically in his album "Hae ke Kae" (Sesotho for "Where is home?"). What is special about Selaocoe is that he combines cello playing with (throat) singing, percussion, and improvisation, building bridges between Western and South African musical traditions. The Italian composer Giovanni Sollima also knows how to blend different styles. In addition to his six-movement cycle "When We Were Trees," Caroline Shaw's contemporary response to Haydn's last string quartet and David Fennessy's weightless sonic impression of the deserted island of Hirta complement the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra's musical search for home.

Susanne von Gutzeit

Events

Past events

Jul 31, 2025

Argentine Night · Rheingau Musik Festival

Jul 19, 2025

Abel Selaocoe: “African roots” · Rheingau Musik Festival

Future and recently performed repertoire

Conductor in Entr'acte by Shaw

Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele

Conductor in When We Were Trees by Sollima

Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele

Conductor in Hirta Rounds by Fennessy

Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele

About

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