Decisions must be made within a network of feedback loops whose course is only partially predictable, acting under conditions of limited control. Zugzwang is an electroacoustic ensemble composition by Tomas Korber, created as part of the City of Zurich's 2025 Work Year programme.

The ensemble combines acoustic instruments with a network of microphones, software, and feedback loops. The result is music with extreme registers and strong dynamic contrasts, characterised by an archaic, raw sound. The repetitive and process-oriented nature of the music causes listeners and musicians to enter a trance-like state in which time seems to stretch infinitely. Thus, Zugzwang examines the interplay between individual decision-making, collective processes, and the momentum of an unstable system.

For twenty years, the Swiss-Georgian festival Close Encounters has promoted encounters and collaborations, providing spaces for experimentation and reflection. It facilitates intensive exchange between participating musicians, transcending geographical distances, scenes and styles. In both Switzerland and Georgia, Close Encounters continues to break down institutional, stylistic and scene-related boundaries, connecting a diverse range of audiences.

Homo Freq: An Experimental Electroacoustic Opera is more than just a mini opera. It is a platform for experimentation, a space in which opera, the old and immovable monster, is translated and reimagined.

Created in collaboration with Nasi Chavchavadze and Lisa Kereselidze, who like Tiko have their roots in classical music, the project is the brainchild of Georgian musician Tiko Gogoberidze. In Homo Freq, their background meets experimental practice, resulting in an experimental electroacoustic opera. The means employed range from live electronics and classical singing to free improvisation and experimental approaches, with a constantly changing libretto depending on the performers, their voices, and their perspectives. This evening, the young Zurich-based composer and musician Felix Friedrich will be joining them.

Tiko Gogoberidze belongs to the next generation of the Georgian electronic and club scene. Her music ranges from technoid club music and noisy experimental projects to pop and music theatre. Her work is characterised by her openness in moving between different musical fields while always maintaining her own unique style. Not only is Tiko Gogoberidze an accomplished electronic musician, she is also a classically trained singer.