classic meets art: Günther Förg

As part of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich's ‘classic meets art’ concert series, the December performance will take place at our Zurich, Limmatstrasse gallery in the exhibition ‘Günther Förg. Arbeiten auf Papier / Works on Paper / Oeuvres sur Papier: 1975 – 2009.’ Förg’s works on paper were an integral part of his multidisciplinary practice. Executed in a variety of materials, from watercolor, acrylic or oil paints to charcoal, chalk and ink, the German artist has created his very own visual language – from monochromes to dynamic grids and colorful dots. Visual ideas are also at the beginning of the compositional process of Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s work—the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich's Creative Chair 2024/25—who often begins from large-format drawings when developing her music. Musicians from the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich will play two of her works in the exhibition, followed by Arvo Pärt’s famous string quartet, ‘Fratres.’

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The musical program will be interspersed with introductions to Förg’s works on paper and the compositions. 

Program
Anna Thorvaldsdottir, ‘Mikros’ (3’)–Cello Trio
Anna Thorvalsdottir, ‘Transitions’ (12’)–Solo Cello
Arvo Pärt ‘Fratres’, (10’)–Streichquartett

Musicians
Philipp Wollheim, Violin
Amelia Maszonska-Escobar, Violin
Sarina Zickgraf, Viola
Anita Leuzinger, Violoncello
Christian Proske, Violoncello
Sandro Meszaros, Violoncello
Sebastian Ortega, Violoncello

Introductions
Leonie Bockelmann, Hauser & Wirth
Ulrike Thiele, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich

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Doors open: 6.30 pm
Start of event: 7 pm

Book your tickets here. The ticket price includes one complimentary drink.

The concert will not be seated, but seating is available for those less able to stand. Please contact the gallery in advance if you have any special access needs.

Hauser & Wirth Zurich
Limmatstrasse 270
Ground floor

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About the exhibition
‘Günther Förg. Arbeiten auf Papier / Works on Paper / Oeuvres sur Papier: 1975 – 2009’ at Hauser & Wirth Zurich, Limmatstrasse is the largest survey exhibition of Günther Förg’s (1952 – 2013) works on paper, spanning over 30 years. Förg’s works on paper were an integral part of his multi-disciplinary practice and ran parallel to his works on canvas. These creations are considered works in their own right; instead of using them as preparatory sketches for paintings, the artist would often be inspired to paint and draw on paper after experimenting with his large-scale canvases. The exhibition includes well-known series, including his Grid, Color Field, Grey and Spot works, alongside lesser-known pieces, such as early works on paper from his studies in Munich or later series such as Mostly Landscapes.

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About Anna Thorvaldsdottir
Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s music is composed as much by sounds and nuances as by harmonies and lyrical material—it is written as an ecosystem of sounds, where materials continuously grow in and out of each other, often inspired in an important way by nature and its many qualities, in particular structural ones, like proportion and flow.

About Arvo Pärt
Arvo Pärt is among those composers whose creative output has significantly changed the way we understand the nature of music. In 1976, he created a unique musical language called tintinnabuli, which has reached a vast audience of various listeners and that has defined his work until this day. There is no compositional school that follows Pärt, nor does he teach, nevertheless, a large part of the contemporary music has been influenced by his tintinnabuli compositions.