With HYMNS, David August returns to the instrument that shaped his earliest musical language: the piano. Following the expansive, electronic and multidisciplinary sonic worlds of his acclaimed project VĪS, the Italian-German composer now shifts the focus toward something raw, intimate and immediate. HYMNS is a conscious reduction — a deeply personal return to the origins of his musical expression.
Written and recorded throughout 2021 during periods of isolation, improvisation and reflection, the work strips away the vast electronic architectures David August became known for and centers instead on fragile piano moments, spontaneity and emotional directness. HYMNS is not a traditional piano record, but rather an ongoing dialogue between artist and instrument. Prepared piano, atmospheric soundscapes, subtle live processing and deliberate silence merge into an immersive listening experience somewhere between contemporary classical music, ambient and experimental electronics.
For this special solo performance, David August brings the music of HYMNS and more live to the stage of Berlin’s Passionskirche. The concert unfolds as a fluid sequence of improvisation, resonance and emotional intensity. Where VĪS explored questions of humanity, technology and the future through vast sonic landscapes, HYMNS turns inward — toward memory, light, closeness and emotional clarity.
The unique atmosphere of Passionskirche provides the ideal setting for this performance. Between sacred acoustics and minimalist staging, the evening becomes less a conventional concert and more an invitation to pause, listen and fully immerse oneself in sound. Reduced, vulnerable and emotionally charged, David August appears here in one of his purest and most exposed forms to date.
Support comes from Agnese Menguzzato, whose work moves between experimental electronics, sound art and immersive sonic environments. Her atmospheric approach adds another intense and contemplative layer to the evening. This solo piano performance offers a rare opportunity to experience one of Europe’s most distinctive contemporary composers and live performers in an intimate and exceptional setting.
