Renowned for his groundbreaking approach to musical theater, Heiner Goebbels is known for constructing unique dialogues between music, stage imagery, and historical narratives. His works challenge linear storytelling, blurring the boundaries between music and theater, provoking audiences to deeply reflect on history and contemporary society. In the lead-up to the Asian premiere of Everything that happened and would happen, this discussion will delve into Goebbels’ artistic mindset—from the interplay of sound and performance to theater’s response to history and the impact of global events on his creative process. By exploring his formative years, distinctive compositional techniques, and the intersection of music, theater, and the times, we invite you to unveil the artistic universe of Heiner Goebbels.
■ Speaker | Heiner Goebbels
Heiner Goebbels, born in Neustadt an der Weinstraße in 1952, is a German composer, director and theatre maker. He studied sociology and music and has composed for ensembles and orchestras. He is known for his interdisciplinary works that combine music, theatre, dance and visual arts. In the 1980s, he had a major impact on German theatre with his avant-garde productions and experimental soundscapes. As artistic director of Schauspiel Frankfurt (2006-2012), he created numerous internationally acclaimed and award-winning works. From 2012 to 2014 he was artistic director of the Ruhrtriennale. In 2018, he received the first appointment to the newly established Georg Büchner Professorship at the University of Giessen. In 2012, his book Aesthetics ofAbsence was published. Goebbels has received several international awards, including the European Theatre Prize and the International Ibsen Prize, and is considered one of the leading figures in contemporary music theatre and performative art.
■ Speaker | Yuan-Chen Li
Born in Tainan, Taiwan, Li graduated from the Taipei National University of the Arts, earned an Artist Diploma from Yale University (2008), and obtained her Ph.D. in Philosophy of Music from the University of Chicago (2015). Her works have received the ACL Hsu Tsang-Houei Memorial Prize, the Ministry of Education's Literary and Arts Award, and was featured in the Golden Melody Award-winning album for Best Art Music Album.
Her notable compositions include the cello concerto Wandering Viewpoint, the guzheng concerto Hovering in the Air, the orchestral work Tao of Meinong, and the opera Portent, Taiwan’s first original opera co-produced by the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying) and the Taipei Performing Arts Center. She has been a visiting professor at Reed College and held residencies in Paris and New York.
She currently teaches at Taipei National University of the Arts, Tainan National University of the Arts, and Tainan University of Technology.
