No Clouds in Haraz: Album Release Concert

Composer, pianist and electronic artist Kaan Bulak and trumpeter Simon Höfele bring their sonically powerful and recently released album “No Clouds in Haraz” on stage, that is an expressive experience between geographical and instrumental boundaries, merging influences from the Middle East and contemporary music with the electronic sound language of Berlin.

Simon Höfele is the winner of the most important German classical music prize, OPUS KLASSIK 2020, and within a short space of time has established himself internationally as one of the most successful trumpet players of the young generation. As a soloist, he has already played with many leading orchestras, including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, Mahler Chamber Orchestra or Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin. As well as performing familiar trumpet
repertoire ranging from Telemann, Tartini, Hummel and Mozart to Jolivet, Arutjunjan and Zimmermann, Simon Höfele is very enthusiastic about contemporary. He also regularly crosses musical boundaries, combining classical works with experimental or jazzy repertoire or electronic music.

Kaan Bulak studied audio engineering and techniques, followed by a master in sound art at the University of Arts Berlin. Followed by a Master degree in Sound Studies at the Universität der Künste
Berlin, he researched his concept of the Augmented Piano, wrote and recorded several electro-acoustic works as an artist-in-residence at ZKM Karlsruhe.

Influenced by his two hometowns Istanbul and Berlin, Bulak found his unique way of composing beyond geographical or cultural boundaries. beyond geographical or cultural boundaries. In a similar fashion, Bulak disregards distinctions between acoustic and electronic instruments and performs new works and arrangements of early music with his own electro-acoustic ensemble. On stage, electronic sounds breathe jointly with strings and resonate in classical halls through the custom 360° loudspeaker Lynch
developed by Bulak in collaboration with Martion Audiosysteme. So far, Bulak’s music was presented on stages such as Philharmonie Berlin, Opernhaus Zürich, Verbier Festival, Şerefiye Sarnıcı Istanbul,
Konzerthaus Berlin, Podium Festival, XJazz Berlin & Istanbul.

The bar opens at 6:30 pm and is also available after the concert.

This musical odyssey is not merely an assortment of tracks but a profound homage to faraway places and a shared love for the simple yet profound pleasure of coffee. As the needle drops onto the vinyl or the digital waves fill the air, listeners are transported to distant worlds, guided by the evocative melodies and innovative compositions of Bulak. The album’s title, a nod to the majestic mountains of Haraz in Yemen, sets the stage for a journey that goes beyond geographical boundaries. On stage, trumpet and grand piano are electronically enhanced and presented in a unique dimension of
sound with an electronic foundation.

Trumpet: Simon Höfele
Piano, Electronics & Composition: Kaan Bulak