The RWE Pavilion of the Philharmonie Essen is a place that, with its open, experimental atmosphere, excellent technical conditions, and dedicated team, perfectly aligns with the exciting performances of the evening. It begins with a special performance of the workshop "Data Ethics in Creative Practice," which was created based on an open call and is led by Portrait XO. In this 20-minute performance, the selected participants present their three-day interdisciplinary collaboration, which intensively engages with the interaction of art and artificial intelligence and explores the boundaries between human, machine, and musical authorship. The subsequent program also navigates between experiment and sound research: Portrait XO operates at the intersection of music, art, and artificial intelligence and questions the classical concepts of composition and authorship. Their works explore the interactions between algorithmic processes and creative decisions, weaving together analog and digital sound production into innovative, constantly evolving musical structures. Powell uses minimal music and electroacoustic methods to create new, virtual forms of music. His work merges with the theories of electronic music, which have evolved from traditional, composition-driven music forms to an experimental, often chance-driven and unpredictable soundscape. Julie Herndon deals with the physics of sound and the interaction between body and technology. In her works, principles of soundscape theory and the physicality of music are interconnected, leading to music that engages the space both visually and acoustically while challenging perception.

The evening questions traditional music concepts and shows how artificial intelligence and technological developments transform sound, open up new creative possibilities, and raise questions about authenticity and control.