collaborations
Apart from her many collaborations with composers, Isabel enjoys working with artists from all genres. She is always open to new ideas and suggestions.
Here are some of her recent collaborations:
PETER PAN
In December 2014 Isabel enjoyed a first encounter with actor Markus Meyer. They collaborated in a project for the Vienna Konzerthaus in the concert series "Musik und Dichtung". Markus Meyer was reading "Peter Pan" by James M. Barrie and Isabel played music by John Cage, Karlheinz Essl, Guy Klucevsek, Otto Lechner and Stephen Montague.
VIRIBVS VNITIS
In 2006 Isabel met up with Polish/Dutch harpsichordist Goska Isphording for an exciting duo experience with toy piano and harpsichord. The duo has commissioned a number of composers to write new works for them, including Joe Cutler, Lydia Martin and Errollyn Wallen. Goska's and Isabel's duo debut took place during the BMIC Cutting Edge Series in London on 9 November 2006. The duo will meet again for a concert at the Essl Museum (Klosterneuburg/Vienna) on 3 December 2014. Their duo repertoire will be presented in Austria for the first time there, and they will premiere new duo works by Karlheinz Essl and Manuela Kerer!!
50 BROKEN PROMISES
After some previous collaborations Isabel Ettenauer (toy pianos) and Otto Lechner (accordion) gave their first duo recital at the Festspielhaus St. Pölten on 13 November 2011. The program consists exclusively of Otto's very own music, with the exception of some special interpretations of Haydn's "Quintenquartett" for accordion and Haydn's "Flötenuhrstücke" (music for a musical clock) for toy piano.
CIRCUS LEBASI
On 4 June 2009 Isabel's newest big project on which she had worked for more than two years was premiered at Linz09 - the European Capital of Culture in 2009: her CIRCUS LEBASI. She collaborated with the French Circus artist Jérôme Thomas, as well as Franck Ténot and her Circus Band, the Ensemble 09. In 16 performances between June and the end of August there could be heard newly commissioned works by Karlheinz Essl, Matthew Hindson and Max Nagl, as well as other works by John Cage, Stephen Montague, Karlheinz Essl and György Ligeti's "Poème Symphonique" for 100 metronomes! The wonderful French costume designer Emmanuelle Grobet has created the costumes for the show and French light designer Bernard Revel has done the magic lights for Circus Lebasi. The show took place in Jérôme Thomas' unique wooden tent. To be continued....
THE HYMNOPEDISTS
The Hymnopedists are Guy Klucevsek (accordion) and Isabel Ettenauer (piano & toy piano). After recording the score of "Industrious Angels", a music theatre project of writer/actress Laurie McCants for which Guy Klucevsek composed the music for violin, piano/toy piano and accordion, Guy and Isabel decided to form a duo dedicated to Klucevsek's music. The duo had its premiere in the beautiful Ehrbar-Saal at the International Accordionfestival in Vienna on 2 March 2012.
JOSEFINE, DIE SÄNGERIN ODER DAS VOLK DER MÄUSE
Josefine, die Sängerin oder das Volk der Mäuse is Franz Kafka's last text which is today as actual as ever. Together with accordionist Otto Lechner and actress Anne Bennent Isabel developed an extraordinary evening with text and music which was premiered at the Festspielhaus St. Poelten on 20 October 2010. Most of the music for the evening is by Otto Lechner himself, duos and solos for accordion/toy piano, with additional repertoire by Karlheinz Essl and Guy Klucevsek.
FEED MUSIC
Feed Music is an original score written by composer Renald Deppe for toy piano, clarinet/sax and cello for a cooking show by artist Götz Bury ("Good living without nothing"). The performance was premiered at the exhibition "St. Marxer Restwochen" at the Werkstatt Henriette Lersch in Vienna in November 2010. The music was played by Renald Deppe, sax/clarinet, Laura Deppe, cello, and Isabel on the toy piano.
PONG
Pong is a collaboration with French juggler Jérôme Thomas and Swiss mime Markus Schmid. The project was created for the 58th Avignon Festival in 2004 as a coproduction with SACD. In Pong Isabel Ettenauer performs toy piano music by Otto Lechner (Austria), Stephen Montague (UK/USA), Rob Smith (USA) and Tom Johnson (USA/France). Pong had nine very successful performances at the Jardin de la Vierge of the Lycée Saint Joseph in Avignon in July 2004.
SE RELIRE CONTRE LE PIANO-JOUET
Se relire contre le piano-jouet is a theatre project for toy piano soloist and two actors. It was created by the young American composer Evan Johnson and French stage director Richard Brunel for Voix Nouvelles, Royaumont, France. The first performance took place at the Abbaye de Royaumont on 4 October 2003, with actors Geoffrey Carey and Jérôme Ragon. Immediately after the much acclaimed premiere the production was invited to be repeated at the Opéra de Lille during their 3 jours de création as part of the programme Lille 2004 - Capitale Européenne de la Culture in April 2004.