Partially Restored Landscapes

Dmitri Kourliandski, composer in residence at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin in 2025/2026, was born in Russia in 1976. He has lived in France since 2022. Kourliandski is renowned for his exploration of sound textures and innovative compositional techniques. His works often delve into the interplay between structure and spontaneity, challenging traditional musical forms.

Kourliandski explores sound as an open and evolving question — never fixed, always in flux. Performers are invited to engage with each piece afresh, offering unique interpretations every time. Listening itself becomes a creative act, shaping meaning in the present moment. At the same time, his work remains rooted in tradition as an ongoing re-examination of its foundations.

The program will present two string quartets composed by Dmitri Kourliandski for Quatuor Diotima in different years: “Maps of Non-Existent Cities. Bludenz” (2014) and “Partially Restored Landscapes” (2026), both of which continue the composer’s exploration by aiming to reconstruct auditory environments through fragmented and reimagined musical elements.

Quatuor Diotima

• Yunpeng Zhao, violin
• Léo Marillier, violin
• Franck Chevalier, viola
• Alexis Descharmes, violoncello

The Quatuor Diotima was formed in 1996 by graduates of the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris. The chamber ensemble has collaborated closely with several of the greatest late twentieth-century composers, notably Pierre Boulez and Helmut Lachenmann. The ensemble regularly commissions new works from contemporary composers, including Toshio Hosokawa, Alberto Posadas, Mauro Lanza, Gérard Pesson, Rebecca Saunders, and Tristan Murail. Very active in teaching and training young artists, the group has been invited to give master classes at the University of California in Los Angeles, the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, and at York University.