Stefan Beyer is a composer of experimental, mostly acoustic music, living in Berlin. Artistic residencies have taken him to Paris, Los Angeles, Wiepersdorf, Schreyahn, Rolandswerth, and Schöppingen. Sound research plays a central role in his compositions. During the creation process of new works, he collaborates closely with musicians and ensembles.

For what feels like an eternity, I have known an outstanding bassoonist – James Aylward. Since our years of study, we had wanted to collaborate. During the pandemic, research attempts began, and the intention to collaboratively work on a composition emerged. I took the opportunity of the residency in Schöppingen to actively pursue this undertaking, which had also been part of my application. The actual work on the project grew significantly beyond the intended scope during the stay in Schöppingen. The musician traveled to Schöppingen for work sessions – four times in total, always staying for two or three nights, allowing for lengthy sessions that we documented as audio recordings, which I subsequently evaluated. Over the course of months, we developed delicate, highly specific sound material. During the residency, I also completed the composition. A few weeks after the end of my scholarship, the composition premiered and was studio-recorded in Berlin. It is titled „Hagelfeier“ – a church-related, cultural term from the Schöppingen region.