Martin Kohlstedt Live

Modular composition in the open air

Martin Kohlstedt, a graduate of the Bauhaus University, is a local hero in Weimar. The composer, pianist and producer attracts an audience from both high and club culture, is capable of filling leading German concert halls such as the Elbphilharmonie and is also a fixture on the international music scene. Like almost no other artist of his generation he has been able to reconcile the acoustic piano with electronics. Kohlstedt was born in Thuringia in 1988 and grew up near Weimar. He developed a feel for sonic spaces and musical structures at an early age, which took him beyond the bounds of his classical training. His works have been released on prestigious labels and his soundtracks have been presented at international film festivals. As a result, experiencing him live can mean a classical piano concert or improvised introspection, while he is also capable of an expansive festival show or a multidimensional film soundtrack. Kohlstedt describes his way of working as modular composition, the pieces are in constant flux and even in concert they do not follow a fixed form. Improvisation is an essential part of his creative process, as is a spirit of discovery and interactions with people, spaces and contexts. Because the audiences at Kunstfest Weimar 2024 couldn’t get enough of him in two sold-out concerts, Martin Kohlstedt will also be part of the 2025 festival – this time in the wonderful atmosphere of the Lake Stage in the Weimarhallenpark! This will be Kohlstedt’s only concert in Thuringia in 2025.