"Exploring issues of time and perception, Ferdinand Schwarz is a composer-performer intrigued by slow and seemingly simple sounds, that he deploys in the design of compositions and communal listening practices.

In search of a music that allows one to be immersed in its presence, unchanging, not telling a story as such, but making space for being continuous and presently now, his work unfolds in formal rigour towards an emotional depth that fosters emptiness and recalibration; in resistance of a high-paced and profit based concept of the world.

Ferdinand is interested in listening as an active condition; a creative and contingent tool pointing towards states of magnified presence and self-experience.

His solo project Do You Hear What I Hear? is a performance-installation utilising psychoacoustics and the experience of space via listening with a self-built instrument made of multiple air-pressure machines and melodicas.

Since 2023 he hosts regular sounding listening sessions where communal listening practices are explored."

"Madara Eleonora Mežale is a Latvian-born clarinetist, currently based in Oslo, Norway. She is pursuing her master's degree at the Norwegian Academy of Music (NMH), studying under Professor Björn Nyman and Hans Christian Bræn in the fall semester of 2024. Prior to this, in June 2024, she completed her bachelor's degree at NMH, building on her education from the Emils Darzins Music School, one of Latvia's top institutions, where she studied with the country's leading clarinet teacher, Gunārs Kļaviņš. Her musical journey began with early education at the Pāvuls Jurjāns Music School, under the guidance of Juris Vanags.

During her early years as a clarinetist, Madara actively participated in various national and international competitions in Latvia, becoming a laureate of the Latvian State Competition for woodwind instruments, the National Competition for Young Talents, and Eduards Mednis International competition among others. Alongside her training in symphonic music throughout her education, she also gained valuable experience through orchestral programs in Norway, including Ungdomssymfonikerne and UngFil.

Besides her training in orchestral music, Madara developed a strong passion for solo and chamber music. She has performed with various chamber music groups, exploring the most celebrated works in the clarinet chamber music repertoire. Her participation in numerous concerts and festivals, such as the Oslo Chamber Music Festival, further reflects her diverse musical engagements. In addition, Madara was a finalist of the Ungdomssymfonikerne soloist audition in the fall of 2023. She has also taken part in chamber music competitions in Latvia, including the V International Competition for Piano Ensembles and Instrumental Chamber Orchestras with Piano, as well as the VIII International Brass and Rhythmic Ensembles and Orchestra Rhythmic Music Festival - Competition.

Madara's focus on blending classical solo and chamber music with modern and contemporary works represents a thoughtful and forward-looking approach to her master's studies. By selecting works for clarinet and piano written after World War II, she aims to explore often overlooked pieces in the repertoire. This dedication to the rediscovery of underrepresented music, in combination with established core repertoire, not only enriches concert programs but also broadens our understanding of music history. Her philosophy underscores the idea that music history is not a monolithic narrative dominated solely by canonical works. By integrating new compositions, Madara adds depth to how we perceive music. She emphasizes that these forgotten layers offer invaluable perspectives, showing how music has evolved and been shaped by various historical, cultural, and social factors. The fusion of modern pieces with the classical canon creates an innovative framework that invites listeners to reconsider familiar works while gaining insight into the diversity of musical expression throughout history.

This approach also challenges the audience's perception of what defines "important" music. It advocates for a more inclusive understanding of the term, highlighting the importance of different voices in shaping the music world. Through this, Madara opens a space for both traditional and contemporary music to coexist, inspiring fresh dialogues about creativity, context, and the development of musical literature. By crafting concert programs with this philosophy in mind, Madara not only educates but also creates a rich and engaging concert experience, encouraging listeners to appreciate the complexity and depth of the clarinet and piano repertoire from a renewed perspective."

"Marco Slaviero is an Italian musician based in Oslo, Norway. The current focus in his musical projects is contemporary and avant-garde music in which he's mainly involved as classical and electric guitarist, and occasionally performer and multi instrumentalist. He's actively involved in commissioning and performing new music as solo artist, and with his two main chamber music projects: AREPO contemporary music ensemble for clarinet, accordion, cello and guitar; and Slaviero:Nannestad guitar duo.

Since about four years, Marco's practice as a classical musician has been limited by a tendinitis in his left index finger; therefore experimenting with new techniques and equipment was and is essential to overcome this period of uncertainty. Implementing electronic music, improvisation, new commissions and instrumentation such as electric guitar in its practice, Marco's artistic project aims to explore different paths available to an injured musician by rethinking his identity and delving into the fragilities and vulnerabilities of a performer.

Marco has recently collaborated with Ultima-Oslo Contemporary Music Festival, MUNCH Museum, nyMusikk Innlandet, Ensemble Lime and Eighth Blackbird. He completed his Bachelor's degree in classical guitar at the Conservatory of Music A. Pedrollo in Vicenza, Italy where he's also attending the Master's degree. In May 2024 he concluded a Master in Music Performance at the Norwegian Academy of Music with contemporary music as the main subject of his studies."

"Noël Rubli is a swiss accordionist based in Oslo. With his music he wants to provide an alternative to the (literal and metaphorical) noise that is constantly surrounding us.

He works mainly with contemporary music in the expanded field but also has a passion for improvised and early music.

Noël is the organiser and curator of the concert series listening:resonating, which has taken place numerous times, was programmed the at Ultima and Ding-Dong festival and has premiered a number of works. The concert series focuses on new music, new concert concepts and the act of listening as an essential part of experiencing music. In this way, he also hopes to facilitate access to new music.

Noël has performed in Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA and has participated in a number of festivals such as the Ultima Festival and the Bergen Festspillene."

"Elizabeth Kate is a Brooklyn-based cellist and vocalist-often both at once-whose work expands the contemporary classical repertoire by creating and commissioning new music for the vocalizing cellist. Her practice centers the body as instrument, blurring the lines between voice and cello, performer and composer. Through improvisation, vocalization, and composition, Elizabeth explores how sound moves through and around the body, guiding the listener's attention in ways that challenge fixed perceptions of control and authorship. Her recent solo project, As One, is a compositional and performative inquiry into presence, resonance, and the dissolving of boundaries-between sound sources, identities, and traditions. By merging voice and cello, Elizabeth reimagines what it means to perform, to listen, and to be heard.

Elizabeth is also a founding member of the transatlantic ensemble AREPO, formed during her studies in Norway and now active between Oslo and New York City. The group's unconventional instrumentation-accordion, cello, clarinet, and electric guitar-opens new possibilities for collaborative creation. Their upcoming album, Listening: Time by Ferdinand Schwarz, will be released in April 2025 on the experimental label Another Timbre. The recording was named one of Bandcamp's Best Contemporary Classical Albums of March 2025.

Elizabeth has performed with the Munch Museum of Oslo, Eighth Blackbird, Cassandra Jenkins, Ensemble Lime, Rolf-Erik Nystrom, Håkon Thelin, Natsumi Osborn, Bang On A Can, and Yarn/Wire. Her recent solo set, Voice of Cello, has appeared at the 2024 DingDong? Festival in Oslo and the 2023 Ultima Festival of Contemporary Music. She holds a BM and BA from Oberlin College and Conservatory, and an MM from the Norwegian Academy of Music. Elizabeth performs on an 18th-century French cello by Andrea Castegnari, gifted by the Virtu Foundation for emerging artists."