s t a r g a z e is a network of multi-talented and classically-trained European musicians founded by the highly regarded Berlin-based conductor André de Ridder. In addition to operating as an ensemble, stargaze is also a collective of curators initiating and commissioning collaborations and projects in the field of contemporary pop-, electronic and classical music, as well as programming concerts with compositions introducing different facets of today's music to new audiences.
s t a r g a z e has recently worked with Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo, The Magnetic North, Jherek Bischoff, Shara Worden, Owen Pallett and Villagers, recorded and performed These New Puritans' critically-acclaimed album Field of Reeds. Next to collaborating with Pop/Rock-artists, s t a r g a z e started to build up their own instrumental repertoire, including Chamber Variations by Deerhoof, string quartets by Sufjan Stevens and David Lang's composition Death Speaks. The collective started an ongoing series of re-interpretations of Terry Riley's minimal classic piece In C, asking several artists from the pop and electronica world to develop and perform their own version of the work, amongst them Matthew Herbert, Nils Frahm, Pantha Du Prince, Bill Frisell, Sam Amidon, Mouse On Mars and Tyondai Braxton. In February 2014, 'stargaze presents' was launched at the Volksbühne Berlin, a three day long-weekender reflecting the collective's approach and featuring concerts and exclusive collaborations with My Brightest Diamond, Pekka Kuusisto, Holy Other, Pantha du Prince & The Bell Laboratory, Cantus Domus Choir and Solistenensemble Kaleidoskop as well as instrumental compositions by Bryce Dessner (The National), Ben Shemie (Suuns) and Owen Pallett. In Summer 2014, stargaze played the German Premiere of and with the well-known Arcade Fire member Richard Reed Parry's Music for Heart and Breath (released on Deutsche Grammophon), and initiated and performed new collaborations with The Dodos as well as Grant Hart (Hüsker Dü). They have recently worked with Julia Holter and premiered their arrangements at Barbican Centre London as well as opened the World Minimal Music Festival 2015 of Amsterdam's Muziekgebouw aan't IJ, performing In C by and with Terry Riley himself.
s t a r g a z e has appeared at the Holland Festival, Barbican Centre London, Acht-Brücken-Festival at Cologne Philharmonie,Kilkenny Arts Festival, Into The Great Wide Open, Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, Crossing Borders Festival and is ensemble in residence at Haldern Pop Festival (Germany). Future projects will lead to a new edition of 'stargaze presents' in December 2015 and to several festivals like Wonderfeel Festival in the Netherlands, Haldern Pop Festival, Ruhrtriennale, Berlin Pop=Kultur and Sacrum Profanum in Krakow.