Ragnhild May / John Bowers / Reinhold Friedl - SPARKLING SOUND FESTIVAL 2026

Name: Ragnhild May / John Bowers / Reinhold Friedl - SPARKLING SOUND FESTIVAL 2026
Start: 2026-09-12T20:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-09-12T23:00:00+02:00
Location: KU.BE

took place · 12 Sep 2026

KU.BE, Frederiksberg

festival party culture

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Description was written before the event

SPARKLING SOUND FESTIVAL 2026 is the festival's 14th edition and takes place at KU.BE in Frederiksberg. The programme presents new hybrid sound and art music from Denmark and abroad, featuring Ragnhild May, John M. Bowers (UK), and Reinhold Friedl (DE), plus 2 electronic artists.

The festival is supported by Frederiksberg Hurtigpulje, William Demant Fonden, KODA Kultur, and Art Music DK. More information will follow in July.

About the venue: KU.BE

KU.BE is Frederiksberg Municipality's culture and movement house, located near Flintholm Station and free to enter. The 3,800 m² building opened in 2016 with a deliberately unconventional design - warped rooms, rounded angles and slides in place of staircases. Concerts, climbing, fitness, communal dining and meeting rooms all share the same space, and the programme is largely shaped by the users themselves. The house is supported by Realdania and Lokale- og Anlægsfonden.

Dirch Passers Allé 8A, 2000 Frederiksberg Get directions

About the festival: Ragnhild May / John Bowers / Reinhold Friedl - SPARKLING SOUND FESTIVAL 2026

14th edition

edition

since 2013

years in operation

Good to know

One day: Saturday, September 12, 2026
Venue: KU.BE, Frederiksberg
Tickets via Billetto
No camping - indoor venue
Bar available at the event
Supported by Frederiksberg Hurtigpulje, William Demant Foundation, KODA Kultur and Art Music DK

What's new

2026-07
The program for the 14th edition has been announced with Ragnhild May, John M. Bowers (UK) and Reinhold Friedl (DE) as well as 2 electronic artists at KU.BE on September 12.
2025-09
The 13th edition took place on Saturday, September 20, 2025 at KU.BE with Axel Dörner, Xuri and Anton Friisgaard.
2024-09
The 12th edition presented Blaine L. Reininger (Tuxedomoon), Dieb13 & Jerome Noetinger and Maria Laurette Friis at KU.BE on September 21, 2024.
2023-09
The 11th edition featured a triple concert with Fennesz, Zoe Efstathiou and Petri Kuljuntausta & TSO at KU.BE on September 2, 2023.

Line-up

Ragnhild May
John M. Bowers
Reinhold Friedl

About: Ragnhild May

Building instruments from scratch and probing overlooked acoustic phenomena, Ragnhild May makes performative installations that question how bodies and instruments relate to each other. Her work has been presented at venues ranging from the National Gallery of Denmark to the New Museum in New York and Festival d'Automne in Paris.

What's new

2026
Ragnhild May performs at Sonic Acts Biennial in Amsterdam in 2026.
2025
Bellows, May's collaboration with Stefan Maier, had its world premiere in a new version at Église Saint-Eustache in Paris as a commissioned work for Festival d'Automne 2025.
2025
May had a solo show at SPOR Festival in Aarhus and at Kunsthal 6100 in Haderslev in 2025.

Tracks

The Flute PlayerInstallation consisting of 131 recorders played automatically by vacuum cleaners; shown at Statens Museum for Kunst

BellowsConcert installation with home-built organs and electronics, created with Stefan Maier; commissioned work for Festival d'Automne, Paris

VandtrapperCross-aesthetic vinyl record (2021) with graphic scores performed by the string quartet Halvcirkel; inspired by Inger Christensen's poem

Nu vil jeg hvile paa mine lavrbærPerformative installation with slide whistles and crank mechanism that plays a symphony of glissandi automatically

Music for Organs OAE & ElectronicsCollaboration with Stefan Maier; awarded 'Outstanding Composition' by Statens Kunstfond in 2016

About: Reinhold Friedl

Since founding zeitkratzer in Berlin in 1997, pianist and composer Reinhold Friedl has become one of the most uncompromising voices in European experimental music. His work spans noise choreography and chamber music, backed by a PhD on Xenakis and collaborations with figures such as Lou Reed and Keiji Haino.

100+

publications as composer and performer

1997

founding year of Zeitkratzer

What's new

2026-07
The duo album 'as time takes' with Yan Jun and Reinhold Friedl was named Bandcamp Album of the Day in July 2026.
2025-11
Friedl released the album 'truly, slightly, overflowing, whereabout of good will' in collaboration with Japanese experimental musician Keiji Haino via zeitkratzer productions on November 21, 2025.
2025-10
The duo album 'as time takes' with Chinese avant-garde musician Yan Jun was released on October 9, 2025 on double vinyl.

Tracks

as time takesDuo album with Yan Jun (2025), nominated for Bandcamp Album of the Day

truly, slightly, overflowing, whereabout of good willCollaboration with Keiji Haino, released November 2025

Reinhold Friedl: SCARLATTIzeitkratzer album from 2023, based on Domenico Scarlatti's keyboard sonatas

KRAFFTzeitkratzer & ensemble 2e2m, commissioned by the French state, 2020

LP Inside-PianoSolo album from 2011, demonstrating Friedl's inner piano techniques

Recent shows

Nov 30, 2022 Instants Chavirés, Montreuil (FR)
Oct 3, 2019 Cricoteka, Kraków (PL)
Jun 27, 2009 Teatr Dramatyczny, Warsaw (PL)

Ragnhild May / John Bowers / Reinhold Friedl - SPARKLING SOUND FESTIVAL 2026

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