Anna Vilenska is a musicologist, lecturer, and researcher of contemporary music. She has reinvented the traditional format of music lectures, making them visual, accessible, emotional, and useful for the audience. In October, Vilenska will give a series of lectures in major European cities. The program spans classical music and jazz, avant-garde and background music, the role of women in music history, and new horizons opened by artificial intelligence.
The lectures will take place in the following cities: Vienna, Zurich, Berlin, Munich, Düsseldorf, Amsterdam.
Vienna — “How Music Became Classical”
A lecture on why “classical” became high culture. How the term “classical music” emerged, why dedicated concert halls were built, and where the reverent attitude toward Beethoven and other composers came from. A discussion on whether we should overcome the “glass partition” between the listener and culture.
Zurich — “AI and Music: Evolution from 2014 to 2025”
From the first generative models to today’s algorithmic composers. How AI learned to write music, what mistakes it made, and why different models “think” differently. Final experiment — guessing who authored a fragment: a human or AI.
Berlin — “Jazz: Chords, Rhythms, Form — Recipe and History”
Jazz as music of the body and improvisation. What happens on stage, how styles differ, and why jazz is closer than it seems. A detailed breakdown of the chords, rhythms, and forms that make up this “mysterious” music.
Munich — “Background Music”
The history of background music — from Brian Eno’s ambient and melodies for aerophobic passengers to elevator compositions and on-hold tones. How the brain perceives such music and why it carries the imprint of an entire era.
Düsseldorf — “Avant-garde: What Was That?”
The rise and decline of the 20th-century musical avant-garde. Why composers turned to radical experiments and why many later abandoned these practices. A look at key figures, movements, and the relevance of the avant-garde today.
Amsterdam — “Women in Music: from Hildegard to Taylor Swift”
The history of women composers from Hildegard of Bingen to Taylor Swift. What it meant to be a woman in the musical world of different eras, how their work differed from men’s, and whether it can be called equal. A search for common threads in the biographies and destinies of women composers across centuries.
Date | 26.10.2025 |
Time | 19:00 |
Venue | Palais Wittgenstein |
Address | Bilker Str. 7, 40213 Düsseldorf |
Phone | +49 611 94 49 8000 |
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All dates and venues |
Gasteig / Carl-Orff-Saal
Rosenheimerstr. 5, 81667 München
Gasteig / Carl-Orff-Saal
Rosenheimerstr. 5, 81667 München
Fat Cat / Black Box
Rosenheimerstr. 5, 81667 München
Gasteig / Carl-Orff-Saal
Rosenheimerstr. 5, 81667 München
Kulturzentrum Trudering
Wasserburger Landstraße 32, 81825 München
Gasteig / Carl-Orff-Saal
Rosenheimerstr. 5, 81667 München
Kulturzentrum Trudering
Wasserburger Landstraße 32, 81825 München
Olympiahalle
Spiridon-Louis-Ring 21, 80809 München
Theaterfabrik München
Musenbergstraße 40, 81929 München
Tagungszentrum Kolpinghaus
Adolf-Kolping-Straße 1, 80336 München
Kulturzentrum Trudering
Wasserburger Landstraße 32, 81825 München
Anton-Fingerle-Bildungszentrum
Schlierseestrasse 47 , 81539 München
Kulturzentrum Trudering
Wasserburger Landstraße 32, 81825 München
Kolpinghaus St. Erhard
Adolph-Kolping-Straße 1, 93047 Regensburg
Stadttheater Ingolstadt Festsaal
Schloßlände 1, 85049 Ingolstadt
Edwin Scharff Haus
Silcherstraße 40, 89231 Neu Ulm
Graf Zeppelin Haus
Olgastraße 20, 88045 Friedrichshafen
Ratiopharm Arena
Europastraße 25, 89231 Neu-Ulm
Stadttheater Ingolstadt Festsaal
Schloßlände 1, 85049 Ingolstadt
Gasteig / Carl-Orff-Saal
Rosenheimerstr. 5, 81667 München
Gasteig
Rosenheimer Straße 5, 81667 München