Beil, Michael

He studied piano and music theory at the High School of Music in Stuttgart, followed by composition with Manuel Hidalgo. In 

1996 he taught music theory and composition at the conservatoires of Kreuzberg and Neukölln in Berlin as director of the precollege department and the department of contemporary music. He also directed Klangwerkstatt, a contemporary music festival in Berlin. In 2000, he founded the Skart ensemble with Stephan Winkler in order to present concerts based on interdisciplinary concepts. In 2007, he started teaching electronic music at the High School of Music and Dance in Cologne and became the director of its electronic music studio. 

His music has been commissioned by contemporary music festivals including Ultraschall in Berlin, Éclat in Stuttgart, and Wien Modern, and has been broadcast on radio stations such as RBB and SWR. He received scholarships from Künstlerhaus Wiepersdorf, Cité des Arts in Paris, and the Heinrich Gartentor Scholarship for video art in un. He participated in the Nachwuchsforum für junge Komponisten organized by the German Society of Contemporary Music in collaboration with Ensemble Modern. Michael Beil’s work focuses on combining instrumental music, electronics, and video. His compositions are based on concepts related to the concert stage situations in connection with the process of developing a musical work. For that reason, the performers are usually involved in the compositional process and their participation is documented as part of the composition. This way, shaping tempo and coherence of a musical work becomes perceivable and transparent to the audience. In order to achieve this, Beil employs live and prerecorded audio and video material. A further fundamental aim of his music is questioning the artwork as masterpiece. Keeping that in mind, he uses solely musical ready-mades by transforming or deconstructing them, and changing the context of the popular musical material or a material that is idiomatic for certain instruments. 

Works with pre-recorded or live audio: Nexus for two pianos (1995), Und Zehn ist keins for soprano and ensemble (1998), Und Neun ist Eins for soprano, saxophone, piano and percussion (1998), Und Acht for accordion (1999), Mach Sieben for piano (1999–2000), Und Sechs for ensemble (2000), Aus Eins Mach Zehn for orchestra (2001), Aus Fünf for ensemble (2001), Batteriefor percussion (2003), Die Zwei for flute and piano (2004), Beleuchter for flute, violin and cello (2004), Verlier die Vier for percussion and piano (2006), Karaoke for saxophone, piano and percussion (2006), Rebranng!for flute, violin, viola and cello (2008), Doppel for two pianos (2009), belle nuit for soprano, violin, viola and cello (2009), alongfor electric guitar (2010), wie jetzt? for flute and ensemble (2012), exit to enter for ensemble (2013), swap for flute, oboe and clarinet (2014). 

Instrumental and vocal works: Grat for viola and chamber orchestra (1995), Die Drei for six singers (2002), twisted for orchestra, two choirs and girls’ choir (2006). 

Music theatre: Branng! for countertenor, speaker and actress with prerecorded audio (2005), Mahlzeit Provokation for two sopranos and three actors with prerecorded audio (2010), wie jetzt? for two actors and ensemble with prerecorded audio and video (2011), blinded for countertenor, boy soprano, speaker and string quartet with prerecorded audio (2011).