TransTraditionale

Music of the Global Present 2026

Some of the most virtuoso soloists, composers and the most exciting ensembles from the post-migrant music scene convene in Radialsystem to present their highly innovative branch of contemporary music for the first time.

In April 2026, the Trickster Orchestra will host its first festival. As part of “TransTraditionale - Music Festival of the Global Present”, some of the most virtuoso soloists, composers, and the most exciting ensembles from the post-migrant music scene will convene in Radialsystem over three days to present their highly innovative branch of contemporary music for the first time. 

The 21st Century has been defined by movement, transformation and new communities. Decades of global migration mean that the usual demarcations between genres and cultures no longer align with geographical, ethnic or temporal orders. Nevertheless, the development of contemporary music in Europe still demonstrates a noticeably strong continuity with the sonic landscapes of the last two centuries.

But something is happening. In many places, musicians have grouped together to overcome generic borders, searching for new orchestral forms and sounds instead. They aim to use the potential of global sonic diversity to allow a new artistic complexity to emerge, one that promises an even greater creative depth. As the philosopher Arnold I. Davidson said: Multiplication of perspectives means multiplication of possibilities.

The festival explores these sonic mosaics between improvisation and composition, in which global instruments and traditions become toolboxes for innovative, interwoven sound experiences. The festival seeks to bring this scene together and establish it as a source of inspiration – towards a sonic modernity in art music that unfolds beyond Western-influenced avant-garde canonisation. In this way, it opens up paths along which contemporary music can connect with a post-migrant, open and diverse society. Because being contemporary means crossing boundaries, multiperspectivity and transformation.

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Supported by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media and the Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion.

Media partnerships Radialsystem: The Berliner, Rausgegangen, taz – die tageszeitung, tip Berlin.

Next date:

• Date Friday, 24/April/2026 17:30 (2 more dates)
• Venue Radialsystem V
• Address Holzmarktstraße 33, 10243 Berlin-Friedrichshain