Incense of Music 62/ Alcàcer, Dahlgren
Incense of Music 62
A multisensory concert – Friday, 4. April 2025, 20 Uhr
Pedro Alcàcer Doria: theorbo, lute
Chris Dahlgren, viola da gamba
Fabio Dondero (Incense burning): Labdanum
Join us for a unique multisensory concert, where sound and scent intertwine to transport you to another time. Two masterful musicians will weave an intimate tapestry of sound, filling the space with the warmth of historical strings and the lingering fragrance of ancient resins.
"A Different Shape of Viol' is a set of original compositions for solo bass Viola da Gamba that break away from the Baroque sound and style mostly associated with the instrument. The listener is offered a new and fresh approach to this instrument's enchanting sound that brings the past, present and future together.
PANDA Platforma in der Kulturbrauerei, Knaackstr. 97, 10435 Berlin
Chris Dahlgren (*1961 in New York City) is an American jazz bassist and polyinstrumentalist. Dahlgren, who grew up in Denver, played the cello as a child before switching to the bass. He studied jazz at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music until 1986 and composition and experimental music at Wesleyan University until 2003, studying with Anthony Braxton, Alvin Lucier, and Christian Wolff. He also took composition lessons with La Monte Young and double bass lessons with Dave Holland, Barry Green, and François Rabbath. He then performed as a sideman with musicians such as Joe Lovano, Charles Tolliver, Red Rodney, Tricia Woods, and Herb Ellis and toured with the folk-rock group Over the Rhine. In 1996, he released his debut album Slow Commotion. Since 1998, he has been a member of the Jazz Mandolin Project. In his group Lexicon, he played with Gebhard Ullmann, Antonis Anissegos, and Eric Schaefer. Since 2003, he has been teaching ensemble playing at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" in Berlin.
Born in 1982 in Mexico City, Pedro Alcàcer Doria began his musical education at an early age under the influence of his father, the Catalan jazz musician Francesc Alcàcer, and was born into a creative family. He studied jazz guitar with Francisco Lelo de la Rea and immediately began learning classical guitar and composition with Hector Ramos. He completed his studies in classical guitar at the renowned "Escuela Nacional de Música-UNAM" and continued his studies with renowned teachers such as Isabelle Villei, Eloy Cruz, and Antonio Corona, specializing in Renaissance and Baroque repertoire. In 2006, he moved to Barcelona, Spain, where he obtained the "Berufstitel" for Renaissance and Baroque plucked instruments at the Conservatory of Girona under the renowned teacher Xavier Diaz-Latorre. He then continued his studies at the University of the Arts in Bremen, where he studied lute with Joachim Held and Lee Santana and earned his degree. As a passionate musician, he continued his instrumental improvement with Evangelina Mascardi in Italy while working intensively as a soloist and continuo player. He has worked with important conductors such as Gabriel Garrido, Alessandro di Marchi, Marco Mencoboni, Paolo Faldi, Riccardo Doni, Horacio Franco, Cristoph Hammer, Carlos Aranzay, Gerhard Oppel, Burak Özdemir, and others, and has performed at prestigious festivals and forums in Italy, Germany, Spain, France, Czech Republic, Belgium, Netherlands, Brazil, and Mexico. He currently lives in Berlin and collaborates with various realities of early music in Europe. The artist is known for his profound experience and artistic sensitivity, which he has acquired through collaborations with outstanding musicians and teachers from all over the world. His international experience and high qualifications make him an outstanding artist in his field.

Labdanum is a fragrant resin derived from the leaves and twigs of Cistus ladanifer and Cistus creticus, two rockrose species native to the Mediterranean. It has been prized for centuries in perfumery, medicine, and incense due to its rich and complex aroma. Its scent is deep and amber-like, with warm, balsamic, and slightly sweet undertones. Notes of earth, leather, honey, dried fruits, smoky vanilla, and musk give it a distinctive character. This complexity makes labdanum an essential ingredient in oriental, chypre, and amber perfumes, where it adds depth, warmth, and longevity. Beyond perfumery, labdanum has long been used in incense and spiritual rituals for its calming and grounding properties. In ancient times, it was even collected by combing the resin from the beards of goats that grazed on Cistus shrubs. It also had medicinal applications, valued for its antiseptic and expectorant qualities. With its deep, enveloping scent, labdanum evokes mystery, warmth, and timeless elegance, remaining a treasured element in both modern fragrance creation and historical aromatic traditions.
Incense of Music 61 - Striffler, Buder
Incense of Music 61
A multisensory concert - Saturday, March 1st 2025, 8 pm
Fabiana Striffler: violin, voice
Hannes Buder, cello, voice, electronics
Fabio Dondero (Incense burning): Juniper
Join us for a concert with two exceptional artists and a classic of incense burning (Juniper). Don’t miss this night of unique, genre-defying sound—where jazz, avant-garde, and classical influences come together in an intimate performance that promises to captivate. For guests who are particularly sensitive to smoke, this event is not recommended.
PANDA Platforma in der Kulturbrauerei, Knaackstr. 97, 10435 Berlin
Fabiana Striffler is a musician (violin, vocals, composition) who moves between jazz and avant-folk. In 2022 she was nominated for the German Jazz Award for her music, and in 2021 she was awarded the German Jazz Award as part of the Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra. "Fabiana Striffler is a very talented violinist who plays directly from the heart. Her beautiful sound is a reflection of herself. Fabiana has a unique balance of keen intuition and intellect that allows her to make pure music no matter what creative situation she finds herself in.” (New York, Garry Dial, Grammy “live at the Village Vanguard”) In 2024, she released her fourth album with Paris-based cellist Karsten Hochapfel, La Plume Du Dimanche (Wopela), as well as the single Konferenzverschaltung for synthesizer and strings (Traumton). In 2023 and 2024, she released six more albums in collaborations with other artists, in which she increasingly contributed her voice in addition to her violin. Concerto Magazine: “Gustav Mahler might have composed such songs if a time machine had catapulted him into the early 21st century: mysteriously radiant, touching and full of unheard-of sounds...”. Residencies and scholarships have taken her to New York, Paris, Glasgow and Tallahassee. She received the Elsa Neumann Scholarship for her modern and improvising string quartet. She was sponsored by the Yehudi Menuhin Association for six years. She grew up in Italy and lived temporarily in Spain and France.
https://www.fabianastriffler.com/
Social: https://www.instagram.com/fabianastriffler/
Hannes Buder is a cellist, guitarist, and composer. He feels connected to the artists of the Art Brut, Abstract Expressionism and Minimal Music. "If I could make music the way Mark Rothko painted, I would be a happy man.“ He develops his own compositions and sounds utilising the cello, electric guitar and his voice. He feels related to outsider artists who create not within the confines of genre but following their own necessity of expression. His last solo albums were 'changes II' (2015 on Umlaut Records) and 'outside words' (2021 on Laaps Records). For over 20 years, Buder has regularily collaborated with dancers and theater ensembles, which is strongly reflected in the physicality of his playing. The album „Your Dramatic Joy“ appeared in 2023 in collaboration with Ernesto Rodrigues and others. "Wonderfully balanced sound-art, versatile, lively and uncompromising in its musical character.” (Süddeutsche Zeitung) „All the pieces are extremely fluid, unfolding their own well measured minimalism in instinctive constructions, which are clothed in austere Gothic traits, flowery Renaissance harmonies and deconstructions of an instinctive improvisation, which sublimates in a nervous and elegiac post-modernity, crowned by a pulsating, deeply human chorality.“ (Music won't save you, January 2022)
Website: http://hannesbuder.de/
New Album: https://laaps-records.com/album/outside-words
Social: https://www.instagram.com/hannesbuder/

Juniper (Juniperus spp.) is an evergreen shrub or small tree in the cypress family, known for its needle-like leaves and aromatic berries. It thrives in diverse climates, from dry rocky landscapes to alpine forests. Juniper berries, actually seed cones, are used in cooking, medicine, and gin production. Juniper has been used as an incense for centuries in various cultures for purification, protection, and spiritual practices. When burned, juniper releases a crisp, woody, and slightly sweet aroma with a hint of citrus and spice. Many indigenous and ancient cultures, including the Celts and Native American tribes, burned juniper to cleanse spaces of negative energy, much like sage or palo santo. In European folklore, juniper smoke was believed to ward off evil spirits, illness, and misfortune. It was often burned in homes or at entrances to create a protective barrier. The scent of juniper is known to stimulate the mind, promote clarity, and enhance focus, making it a popular choice for meditation, shamanic rituals, and divination. Juniper incense is thought to have antimicrobial properties and is used in some traditions to support respiratory health, reduce stress, and promote emotional balance. How to Use Juniper as Incense: Dried Juniper Sprigs or Berries: These can be burned directly on charcoal or added to incense blends. Juniper Resin: The resin, often combined with other resins like frankincense or copal, produces a rich, earthy scent when burned. Juniper Incense Sticks or Cones: Commercially available, these provide a convenient way to enjoy the cleansing properties of juniper. Burning juniper incense can create a grounding yet uplifting atmosphere, making it an excellent choice for rituals, meditation, or simply freshening a space with its refreshing, forest-like fragrance.