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Current PhD Projects
Philipp Gerschlauer
Microtonality and Bebop: Exploring the Use of Various Tuning Systems in Bebop
Scientific supervisor Univ.-Prof. Stefan Schmidl
Artistic supervisor Univ.-Prof. Lars Seniuk
Key Research Areas Interpretive Research, Composition/Music Theory
Biography
Philipp Gerschlauer is a renowned saxophonist, musician, and educator, known for his pioneering work in integrating microtonal elements into jazz music. He has divided the octave into 128 notes on both saxophone and within his compositions, pushing boundaries in the genre. In addition to his performances, Gerschlauer shares his expertise through teaching clinics, solidifying his reputation as a leading figure in microtonal saxophone.
Description of the doctoral project
My PhD project investigates the integration of microtonal tuning systems within Bebop, a jazz style known for its complex harmonies and improvisation. Microtonality refers to the use of pitches outside the standard 12-tone equal temperament tuning system. The project explores how these unconventional tunings can expand the harmonic and melodic vocabulary of Bebop, which traditionally relies on chromaticism and functional harmony but has not yet deeply engaged with microtonal possibilities beyond “blue notes.”
Research Questions
- How can microtonal tuning systems enhance Bebop’s harmonic and melodic structure?
- What new creative and stylistic possibilities can microtonality bring to jazz musicians?
- How can musicians practically implement microtonality in jazz performance (e.g., modified instruments, software)?
- How can microtonality be integrated into jazz education, and what are the implications for broader pedagogical practices?
Methods
I combine artistic practice with theoretical analysis. This includes studying Bebop standards, composing and improvising using microtonal scales, and collaborating with jazz musicians in practical ensemble settings. I will also conduct qualitative interviews with musicians to document their experiences working with microtonality. Recordings of these performances will form part of the research documentation.
Theoretical Framework
The project draws from Western music theory, particularly the study of historical tuning systems, and engages with the cultural significance of Bebop within African-American history. By blending European microtonal traditions with the Afro-American roots of jazz, this research contributes to the decolonization of music theory while also opening new avenues for artistic exploration.
Documentation
The research will be documented through audio and video recordings of performances, written transcriptions, and theoretical analyses. A blog will be used to share research developments, providing transparency and inviting feedback from the academic and artistic communities.
Sonja Keßner
Master the Puppets - Dystopian Thinking as a Dialectic Strategy of Politically Engaged Art
Scientific supervisor Ass.-Prof. Rosemarie Brucher
Artistic supervisor Univ.-Prof. Karoline Exner
Key Research area Contemporary Theatre
Biography
Sonja Keßner is a multidisciplinary artist, cultural anthropologist, and a trained actress. She holds a BA in Social and Cultural Anthropology and an MfA in Performing Arts. Keßner is currently employed as a dramaturge for puppet theatre at the Theater Waidspeicher in Erfurt (Germany) and works additionally in the fields of directing and theatre music, and as a guest lecturer at several universities.
Description of the doctoral project
In what ways can dystopian art contribute to making the crises of the present tangible and their surmountability imaginable? The PhD project examines the use of dystopian imagery and figures of thought as a strategy for politically engaged art. The inquiry includes the analyses of selected contemporary theatre productions on climate crisis, war, and the loss of democracy, as well as a series of interdisciplinary artistic research labs combining methods from art practices and anthropology. The PhD project results into a written work and the development of a novel theatre play.
Georgios Lolas
Exploring a New Diverse Identity for Performers of Contemporary Music. An Interdisciplinary Approach for Accordion Performance, Balancing between Equal-Temperament and Microtonal Tuning Systems
Artistic Supervisor Univ.-Prof. Jean Beers
Scientific Supervisor Univ.-Prof. Susana Zapke
Key Research Areas Interpretive Research, Composition/Music Theory
Biography
Georgios Lolas is a versatile accordionist with a strong focus in contemporary music. He has collaborated with some of the most prestigious orchestras and contemporary music ensembles in Europe, working closely with renowned composers and premiering their new works. Embracing innovative approaches he explores new performance possibilities, pushing the boundaries of the instrument, experimenting with innovative techniques and sound possibilities through his performances.
Description of the doctoral project
This doctoral project explores the interpretive dimensions and receptions of contemporary microtonal music with the accordion. By engaging with selected works, it aims to discover new elements, gestures and interdisciplinary possibilities to expand this new form of accordion performance. The initial goal of the research is to discover a new interpretive identity through a practical exploration on the boundaries of the performer who is balancing between two tuning systems on stage: the equal temperament and microtonal tuning. This project offers a comprehensive exploration of interpretation in contemporary performative music and investigates the dynamic interplay between performers, composers, and the audience.
Mamadou Soma
Decolonizing Theatrical Practice in Burkina Faso: Towards Liminal Spaces through the Transformation of Traditional Senufo Rites of Passage into Inclusive and Participatory Performances
Scientific supervisor Univ.-Prof. Mira Sack, Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK)
Artistic supervisor Univ.-Prof. Joonas Lahtinen
Key Research area Performance Art
Biography
Mamadou Soma is a Burkinabé artistic researcher, director, actor, performer, and the founder of the African Artistic Innovation Laboratory (LIAA). Soma’s research focuses on the decolonization of theatrical practices in Burkina Faso through the transformation of traditional Senufo rites of passage into inclusive and participatory performances. In his artistic practice, Soma explores the fusion of ancestral rituals and contemporary theatre with the aim of creating liminal spaces that engage local communities to facilitate individual and collective transformation, while also fostering intercultural and interdisciplinary dialogue.
Description of the doctoral project
The PhD project focuses on decolonizing theatrical practices in Burkina Faso by transforming Senufo rites of passage into inclusive, participatory performances. It aims to create liminal spaces for individual and collective transformation, fostering intercultural dialogue. The goal is to develop a renewed theatre practice that engages local communities, blending traditional Senufo ceremonies with contemporary forms. Positioning himself as a shaman, the researcher will use ethnographic methods to co-create with local people. By re-inhabiting practices marginalized by colonial influences, this project explores how theatre and performance can serve as tools for social change, integrating local traditions into postcolonial artistic expression.
Annika Tudeer
(Non)Human Matters. How to Stage the Nonhuman and Discuss Care Ethics in the Anthropocene in a Performance Setting?
Scientific Supervisor Ass.-Prof. Rosemarie Brucher
Artistic supervisor Univ.-Prof. Joonas Lahtinen
Key Research Area Performance Art
Biography
Annika Tudeer is the founder, artistic director of and performer in the internationally renowned experimental music theater collective Oblivia. Tudeer’s background is in dance practice and literature studies. Tudeer also worked as a dance and performance critic for several years.
Description of the doctoral project
The main objective of my artistic research doctorate is to explore and discuss ways of staging the nonhuman in the field of performance practice, within an artistic working environment that draws on and “internalizes” care ethical principles; how does care ethics influence the way we perceive each other and work together in the process of staging the nonhuman in performances? My project aims to investigate the radical power of care and interdependency, and how care ethics can be practiced as performative acts – through acts of listening, communicating and embodying the nonhuman in the Anthropocene.