I understand composing as the capturing in sound of a moment (no matter how long) that is multi-layered, that defines and is defined at the same time, through the musical articulation of my individual auditive faculty. Idea and intent, structural matters and compositional action are three inseparable, interlocking aspects; their temporalness emerges from their relativity. In their particular relation lies the uniqueness of a composition. (Isabel Mundry)

Photo © by Michael Hughes, Berlin

1963	Born in Schlüchtern (Hesse, Germany) on 20 April; raised in West Berlin
1983-1991	Studies composition with Frank-Michael Beyer and Gösta Neuwirth at the Hochschule der Künste Berlin, and electronic music at the Studio of the Technische Universität. She also takes courses in musicology (with Carl Dahlhaus), art history and philosophy at the Technische Universität Berlin
1986-1993	Teaching assignment for composition and analysis at the Berlin Kirchenmusik-schule and at the Hochschule der Künste Berlin
1991-1994	Further composition studies with Hans Zender in Frankfurt
1992-1994	Stay in Paris: first with a scholarship from the Cité des Arts and later at IRCAM (as part of a one-year course in information technology and composition)
1994-1996	Free-lances in Vienna
since 1996	Professor of composition at the Musikhochschule Frankfurt
1997	Teaches at the Akiyoshidai Festival (Japan)
1998, 2000, 2002 and 2008	Teaches composition at the Darmstädter Ferienkurse für Neue Musik
2001	Advancement Award of the Ernst-von-Siemens-Foundation
2002/03	Fellowship of the Wissenschaftskolleg Berlin
since 2004	Professor of composition at the Musikhochschule Zürich
Career	Isabel Mundry has received numerous awards and grants, including the Composition Scholarship of the Berlin Senate, the Berlin Composition Award, the Boris Blacher Award, the Schneider Schott Award, the Busoni Award, the Scholarship of the Heinrich Strobel Foundation, the Kranichstein Music Award, VR Leasing Award of the "Ingrid zu Solms" Foundation

On Isabel Mundry

Music always unfolds in time and space. Often, however, these highly important dimensions of composition imperceptibly shrink to the level of marginalia, to unremarkable, seemingly obvious factors that are taken for granted. Isabel Mundry is one of those composers who sees this differently: time and space take on an original form in many of her works; they are subjected to a conscious reflection. She knows that she is entering a territory in which many major explorations and inventions have taken place in virtually all the past epochs in music history. Indeed, this is one of the preconditions of her work, as well as an incentive to search for new paths. Particularly in light of the temporal aspects which have such a strong hold on her music, Isabel Mundry has worked out a remarkably broad spectrum of musico-historical experiences which have fired her inspiration. According to the composer, it ranges from the polyphony of Dufay to Debussy's "process time" and to Cage's open concept of time. This is complemented by a large amount of extra-musical inspirations as well, particularly from the domains of film, visual arts and literature.

What characterizes Isabel Mundry's compositional process also applies to the seriousness of her endeavor. She takes her place in the tradition of the artists and theorists of modernity who ascribe to art the possibility of giving shape to non-conceptual cognition. In her works, this takes place in the form of polyphonic formations. A striking example of this can be found in the ensemble piece "Le Silence - Tystnaden" (1993). From the very start of this piece, one discerns a contest between three different types of sound: sharply accentuated impulses, melodic structures and planes of sound. But in due time, the initially rigid boundaries begin to flow into one another, and the different types come to resemble one another. Thus the surfaces of sound, which are initially the unadorned basis of the whole piece, seem to be propelled by the striving to incorporate and integrate everything else into them, as if they want to claim that an individualistic musical development is impossible or unnecessary. However, the result of the imaginary confrontation remains open. Mundry manages to plausibly expound upon the experience of the undecided - and no doubt undecidable as well - in her music. In the string quartet with the eloquent title "no one", written in 1994/95, there is a richly shaded play of impulses projected in various directions, which says something about the (im)possibility of the unification of opposites. This noticeably diverges from what Goethe once wrote when he referred to the quartet as a conversation among rational partners. Instead, one has the impression of Babylonian linguistic confusion. The composer herself sees her formations in a work such as this as an analogy to the long sentences of the novelist Marcel Proust, which magically draw the reader into highly intricate descriptions. But in view of the polyphonic voice-leading of the various strands of thought, one often hardly knows where one really is any more. One of the meanings of the title "no one is that there is "no one" uniform metrical system in this work: a visible sign announcing the unfolding of multiple lines or voices in different time frames.

The idea of using the structure of music to form situations of uncommon perception and to stimulate certain realizations in this manner is also found in other works as well, for example in "Spiegel Bilder" for clarinet and accordion (1996). This work experiments in a multi-faceted way with elements based on the "mirror image" (= Spiegel Bilder), but significantly shies from simplistic unambiguity, preferring instead to favor a great variety of ambivalences. Typical for this is the fact that every "mirror" in this music gives rise to a new "image" - and thus the perspectives are multiplied. While listening to the piece, one is tempted to compare the dialogue processes with the forms of perception and experience of real life.
Another characteristic of Isabel Mundry's music is the total absence of triumphant self-satisfaction, empty eloquence or the high-and-mighty attitude of a know-it-all. Although she is not suspicious of every traditionally "beautiful" sound, or everything figurative or playful, she makes only rather incidental use of such conventional elements; their elaboration never becomes a means in itself. Isabel Mundry's works can claim to be self-contained works of art that are honed to the last detail, while still being intensely personal creations that ask questions and inspire openness - particularly with respect to listening and to a sensitive reaction to art and the environment. They allow room for doubts, and even offer them to our scrutiny.
Doubts often provide a major incentive on the path towards the compositional exploration of the uncommon possibilities of experience. They are doubts about what has visibly and audibly arisen and the productive unrest they give rise to, but also pauses for reflection which can be long or short. One can most certainly find here a correlation to the ossification of one's own habits. Isabel Mundry says, for example, that many years ago she preferred uniform systems in composing music. This has long disappeared from her writing; today her music thrives on the freedom she enjoys in including moments of uniformity as well as joyfully throwing them overboard. Several of her pieces seem to betray something of this joy, albeit in a dialectical intercourse with all the constructive ideas they are based on.

At all events, Isabel Mundry's music possesses emphatic shadings and nuances that are not of the traditionally affective type, but reflect the composer's aforementioned preference for polyphonic processes and her tendency - visible in almost all of her works - to subtly model the sounds she forms. Nevertheless, the second of these core dimensions of the music - its spatial aspect - has recently begun to play an increasingly important role as well. Striking examples can be found in the works "Flugsand" (1998) and "Geträumte Räume" (1999). Space here is not something stable, immutable. It is created anew each time in a multi-faceted manner: through the gradation of polyphonic processes, but also through the varying degrees of presence of the instruments and through a diversity of formats, as it were; even the instrument itself can be treated as a space to depict nuances. "Flugsand" is an orchestral work that abolishes the well-known hierarchies and formal patterns of the large musical apparatus and goes beyond them to open up new possibilities of form-giving. Inspired by the works of photographer Thomas Wrede pertaining to the nose dives of birds, the composer transforms into music corresponding forms of motion. What ensues are wave-like currents that come crashing down like an avalanche and that suggest both the breakdown and the disintegration of seemingly consistent structures of interconnections leading to the impossibility of seizing them. It is precisely this that contains the possibility of opening up spaces, of letting their relativity, their interconnectedness, as well as their intrinsic poetic appeal unfold.

In view of the particular characteristics of her music, it is only logical that Isabel Mundry should begin to reflect upon her encounter with the fascinating art of the Japanese garden in her work "traces des moments" (2000) - a work that rejects any tendency to exoticize, an encounter full of structurally related emphasis. Conceptually, the interlocking of timelessness and transitoriness typical of this aesthetic occupies center stage here. Once again, the idea of the interconnection of various perceptions of time and space that has become so important to Isabel Mundry is anchored and supported by an intense palette of colors. Here as in other works of hers, Isabel Mundry's art consists in probing into the resonances of such phenomena with musical means. She does this in full awareness of the similarities and differences between music and its neighboring artistic domains. At all events, exploring unconventional reflections that sharpen one's perceptivity - and making them audible in this manner - is one of the strongest qualities of her music.

Jörn Peter Hiekel
(2000)
(Translation: Roger Clément)

Writings by Isabel Mundry (Selection)

wir sollten enden, in: Schnebel 60, hrsg. von W. Grünzweig, G. Schröder und M. Supper, Hofheim 1990

Emotion in Herstellung und Hörerlebnis - neun Komponistenstatements, in: Österreichische Musikzeitschrift 51 (1996)

Sechzig Zeilen für Gösta Neuwirth, in: Gösta Neuwirth, hrsg. von W. Grünzweig, Hofheim 1997

Polyphonien der Zeit, in: Aspekte der Zeit in der Musik. Alois Ickstadt zum 65. Geburtstag, hrsg. von H. Schneider, Hildesheim 1997

Reden und Schweigen - über die Anwesenheit und Abwesenheit begrifflichen Denkens in der Musik, in: Klangstruktur - Metapher. Musikalische Analyse zwischen Phänomen und Begriff, hrsg. von M. Polth, O. Schwab-Felisch und Chr. Thorau, Stuttgart 2000

Choreographie des musikalischen Raumes, in: Positionen 54 (Februar 2003), S. 27-29
auch abgedruckt (mit Diskussionsbeiträgen) in: Musik und Architektur, hrsg. von Christoph Metzger, Saarbrücken: Pfau 2003, S. 62-70

"Beim Bauen habe ich meine Probe." Isabel Mundry im Gespräch mit Peter Zumthor, in: Dissonance, Heft 82, August 2003, S. 14--19

Was weiß ich? Gedanken über den kompositorischen Schaffensprozess, in: Composers-in-residence. Lucerne Festival, Sommer 2003, Frankfurt: Stroemfeld 2003, S. 27-33

Orte der Wahrnehmung. Isabel Mundry und Peter Zumthor im Gespräch mit Patrick Müller, in: Composers-in-residence. Lucerne Festival, Sommer 2003, Frankfurt: Stroemfeld 2003, S. 49-63

Dialoge mit der Öffentlichkeit. Isabel Mundry und Heiner Goebbels im Gespräch mit Max Nyffeler, in: Composers-in-residence. Lucerne Festival, Sommer 2003, Frankfurt: Stroemfeld 2003, S. 71-86

Wer spricht? Über Konstellationen des Ich. Isabel Mundry und Heiner Goebbels im Gespräch mit Max Nyffeler, in: „Ich“. Buch zum Lucerne Festival 2003, Frankfurt/Main: Stroemfeld, S. 213-226

„Für einen Moment die Zeit einfangen“. Isabel Mundry im Gespräch mit Norbert Graf, in: Schweizer Musikzeitung 6 (2003), Heft 10, S. 3-5

„Traces des moments“ - Gedanken über die Zeit des Komponierens und komponierte Zeit, in: Musik und Metaphysik, hrsg. von Eckhard Tramsen, Hofheim: Wolke 2004, S. 151-164

Schreiben und schweigen, in: MusikTexte Nr. 103, November 2004, S. 3f

„Eine Verdichtung des Dialoges“. Die Komponistin Isabel Mundry über ihre Arbeit und Projekte mit dem Kollegen Brice Pauset, in: Wiesbadener Kurier vom 3. März 2005

"Erinnern und Vergessen im Raum der Känge" in Opernwelt, Jahrbuch "oper 2006", S. 34-38

Resonanzverhältnis zwischen kompositorischem Ich und Gesellschaft, Vortrag am 12. Mai 2005 in der Hochschule für Philosophie München, hrsg. von Thinkers’ Corner, www.thinkerscorner.de
Gefaltete Zeit. Über die Verschränkung von Erinnern und Vergessen in meinem Musiktheater „Ein Atemzug – die Odyssee“, in: Resonanzen. Vom Erinnern in der Musik (= Studien zur Wertungsforschung, Band 47), Wien u. a.: Universal Edition 2007, S. 205-220

Welche Musik? Welche Gesellschaft? – einige kreisende Gedanken, in: Limina. Zur Indifferenz in zeitgenössischer Kunst und Musik, hrsg. von Patrick Frank, Saarbrücken: Pfau 2007, S. 89-98

Bemerkungen zu Hans Zenders „Shir Hahsirim“, in: Hans Zender. Vielstimmig in sich, hrsg. von Werner Grünzweig, Jörn Peter Hiekel und Anouk Jeschke (= Archive zur Musik des 20. und 21. Jahrhunderts, Band 12), Hofheim: Wolke 2008, S. 91-97

„Institutionalisierung eines Glückfalls“ [Rückblick auf das Jahr als „Capell-Compositeur“], in: semper! Magazin der Sächsischen Staatsoper Dresden, Juni–September 2008, S. 13

Sieben Stücke für einen Raum. Ein Gespräch mit Peter Haimerl, Isabel Mundry, Andreas Schmid und Claudia Seidel, in: Ausstellungskatalog „Sieben Stücke für einen Raum/Seven Pieces for One Space“, Sammlung Daimler Chrysler, DaimlerChrysler Contemporary, 27. September 2002-9. Februar 2003, S. 6-13

Seven Pieces for One Space. A Conversation between Peter Haimerl, Isabel Mundry, Andreas Schmid and Claudia Seidel, in: Exhibition Catalgue „Sieben Stücke für einen Raum/Seven Pieces for One Space“, Daimler Chrysler Collection, DaimlerChrysler Contemporary, September 27, 2002-February 9, 2003, p. 14-19

Und jetzt?, in: Musik & Ästhetik, Heft 33 (Januar 2005), S. 78-80

Verborgene Korrespondenzen, in: High Low. Hoch- und Alltagskultur in Musik, Kunst, Literatur, Tanz und Kino, hrsg. von Corina Caduff und Tan Wälchli (= Kaleidogramme 25), Berlin: Kulturverlag Kadmos 2007, S. 27-37

Zwischen Oper und Avantgarde: ein Riss, in: Die Deutsche Bühne 78 (2007), Heft 9, S. 32-34

Passagen, in: Passagen. IMS Kongress Zürich 2007. Fünf Hauptvorträge, hrsg. von Laurenz Lütteken und Hans-Joachim Hinrichsen, Kassel u. a.: Bärenreiter 2008, S. 9-20

Kombination oder Komposition? Über das Zusammenspiel von Musik und Theater, in: Die Deutsche Bühne 79 (2008), Heft 12, S. 38-41


Writings on Isabel Mundry (Selection)

Albéra, Philippe: Espaces intérieurs, in: Cahiers des atéliers contemporains 5 (Programmheft zum Portraitkonzert im Conservatoire de Lausanne am 2. März 2009), S. 6-9
Büning, Eleonore: Für wen komponieren Sie eigentlich? Isabel Mundry, in: Zeitmagazin Nr. 43/1995
Ehrler, Hanno: „Ferne Nähe“. Zu einigen Werken von Isabel Mundry, in: MusikTexte Heft 101, Mai 2004, S. 68-76
Gerhard, Kristina: Der Raum- und Zeitbegriff im Werk Isabel Mundrys – unter besonderer Berücksichtigung ihres Musiktheaterwerks „Ein Atemzug – die Odyssee“, Diplomarbeit der Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg, Wintersemester 2005/06
Grimmel, Werner M.: Alles im Fluss. Die Komponistin Isabel Mundry und ihr Interesse an Alter Musik, in: Neue Zeitschrift für Musik 1/1999
Herbort, Heinz-Josef: Die elektronischen Philharmoniker, in: Die Zeit Nr. 44/1997
Hiekel, Jörn Peter: Perspektivenreiche Polyphonie. Isabel Mundry, in: Annäherung XI - an sieben Komponistinnen, hrsg. von Clara Mayer, Kassel 2000 S. 40-55
Jeschke, Lydia: Isabel Mundry. Gesichter, in: Das Experimental-Studio der Heinrich-Strobel-Stiftung des SWR, Freiburg 1997
Jezovsek, Veronika: "... sehe ich Räume, so entstehen Klänge". Isabel Mundry, in: Vivavoce. Frau und Musik, Nr. 60, Frühjahr 2002, S. 2-9
dies.: „… der Tanz als Unsichtbarer …“. Ein Porträt der Komponistin Isabel Mundry, in: MusikTexte, Heft 101, Mai 2004, S. 55-62
Lachmann, Anja: „... weil mich das Hören von Musik nicht loslässt“. Isabel Mundry – Composer in Residence, in: Musik&Theater 23 (2003), Special Edition Lucerne Festival, S. 10-13
Müller, Patrick: Gestalten von Zeit – Gestalten von Raum. Zur Kammermusik von Isabel Mundry, in: Composers-in-residence. Lucerne Festival, Sommer 2003, Frankfurt: Stroemfeld 2003, S. 13-25; erweitert als "Innenräume der Wahrnehmung. Zur Kammermusik von Isabel Mundry" in: MusikTexte, Heft 101, Mai 2004, S. 47-52
Otten, Jürgen: Und am Ende singt er doch. Eine Annäherung an Isabel Mundry und ihr Komponieren, in: Opernwelt, Jahrbuch "oper 2006", S. 40-42
Pätzold, Patricia: Komponieren heißt, Musik neu zu erfinden. Vom Elektronischen Studio hinaus die Welt: Star-Komponistin Isabel Mundry, in: par-TU. Das Alumni-Magazin der Technischen Universität Berlin, Heft 11 (2006), S. 26
Szendy, Peter: Sandbücher. Für Isabel Mundry, in: Composers-in-residence. Lucerne Festival, Sommer 2003, Frankfurt: Stroemfeld 2003, S. 35-46
Thorau, Christian: Artikel "Isabel Mundry", in: Lexikon "Komponisten der Gegenwart", München 1998
ders.: Zeit suchen und Zeit lassen. Die Komponistin Isabel Mundry, in: Positionen 26 (1996)


Radio Portraits

Ms. Hanno Ehrler, DeutschlandRadio Berlin, 11. Februar 2001, 55 min.

Spiegelbilder geträumter Räume. Ms. Veronika Jezovsek, Hessischer Rundfunk, April 3, 2001

11 Linien
für Streichquartett
Ms.
UA Berlin, 25. September 1992

Komposition für Flöte und Klavier
Ms.
UA Berlin (Musikbiennale), 22. März 1994

Lieder
Ms.
UA Ludwigslust, 10. Mai 1998

"taste"
für Sopran und Ensemble
Ms.

Trio
Ms.