about us

s t a r g a z e is an orchestral collective of European contemporary musicians, an ever-evolving project marrying modern composition with alternative attitudes and sounds.

Following their first two 'stargaze presents' festivals at Volksbühne Berlin, it was praised for its 'Ausnahmestellung' (singular profile) (TAZ) in today's musical landscape with its far-reaching and genre-defying commissions and performances in the world's most prestigious concert halls and pop festivals alike.

Signed to award-winning London-based label 'Transgressive', yet devising programs with music by Berio, Stockhausen and the Beach Boys for the likes of Paris' Philharmonie, s t a r g a z e strive to bring musicians and audiences together that would not have otherwise met, or heard of the music or composers presented. The collective has been invited by the BBC Proms (David Bowie Tribute in 2016), the Holland Festival, Edinburgh International and Rewire Festivals, and performing regularly at the Barbican London, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg and Muziekgebouw aan't IJ Amsterdam.

s t a r g a z e is part of the PEOPLE movement/festival created in Berlin with members of The National and Bon Iver, and visited the US three times, invited by the St Paul Chamber Orchestra's Liquid Music Series, the Eaux-Claire Festival and New York's 'Symphony Space'. Driven by what's going on in contemporary pop, electronica and other un-categorizable genres, the collective has collaborated with the likes of Owen Pallett, Poliça, Julia Holter, Villagers, Matthew Herbert, Iceage, Nik Void, Terry Riley, Lisa Hannigan and Deerhoof, and have performed works by Mica Levi, Bryce Dessner, Nicole Lizee and Qasim Naqvi (Dawn of Midi).

Current projects include an acoustic ensemble realization of Boards of Canada's album 'Hi Scores', 'ABC – (not) Another Beethoven Cycle' around the 250th anniversary in 2020 of L.v. Beethoven's birthday, and 'MÁM', a collaboration with choreographer Michael Keegan-Dolan and the Irish dance company Teac Damsa, for which s t a r g a z e co-created the score.

The group's discography includes 'Live In Dublin' with Lisa Hannigan, 'Music For The Long Emergency' co-written with Minneapolis band Poliça and 'Instruments', a track by track recomposition of Fugazi's 'In On The Killtaker' album by Greg Saunier.

s t a r g a z e was founded in Berlin, 2013, by André de Ridder, Emanuel Florakis and Merle Scheske.