outHEAR New Music Week 2026

At the outHEAR New Music Week, aspiring composers gain new insights into performing and composition techniques in an inspiring environment and can directly bring their pieces to life with musicians from Klangforum Wien and students from the Performance Practice in Contemporary Music (PPCM) study programs at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz. In workshops and personal mentoring sessions with the outHEAR faculty, the young composers can refocus their talents – during the upcoming edition also in the two new categories Music for Piano Automaton and Music for Solo and Electronics. In 2026, the Faculty for Composition will consist of Mark Andre, Annesley Black, Dimitri Papageorgiou, Orestis Toufektsis and Winfried Ritsch from Piano Automaton (IEM).‍

The week kicks off with a three-day symposium at which the fellows and faculty present their artistic research. Participants will have the chance to share their unique perspectives on composition, techniques, and musical innovation, setting the stage to refine their new sounds in detail with the musicians of Klangforum Wien. The creative journey, from the initial idea to the final arrangement, culminates in three exciting concerts at the end of the week.

The outHEAR New Music Week was initiated by pianist Christos Lenoutsos together with the two composers Dimitri Papageorgiou and Orestis Toufektsis, as well as Klangforum Wien violist Dimitrios Polisoidis.