Gerhard Lock
b. January 15, 1978, Halle/S.
Member of the Estonian Composers' Union since 2005
Member of Estonian Musicological Society since 2002
Gerhard Lock, born in Germany and living in Estonia, is musicologist and composer, educator, editor, organizer and musician. He has studied at Georg Friedrich Händel Conservatory (1983–1993) and August Hermann Francke Gymnasium (former Music High School) in Halle/S. (1993–1996), where his composition teacher was clarinettist and composer Willi Vogl. From 1996 to 2000, he studied violin at the Ference Liszt University of Music in Weimar. In 2000, he started musicology studies at Leipzig University's master’s program and continued those at the Estonian Academy of Music in 2002, where he obtained the master's degree in 2004 (supervisor Prof. Mart Humal). Lock’s master’s thesis "Musical material and its development in Lepo Sumera’s Fifth Symphony" was awarded the 1st prize at the state contest of students researches in category of arts organised by Estonian Ministry of Education and Sciences in 2004. Lock has improved himself at the Orpheus Institute in Gent (Belgium) a number of times (2003–2010). Since 2008 Gerhard Lock is doctoral student at Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (tension design in contemporary music, supervisor Prof. Kerri Kotta). Since 2009 he is co-founder and managing editor of the CFMAE: The Changing Face of Music and Art Education peer reviewed research journal with international editorial board established at Tallinn University by Prof. Tiina Selke.
He has worked as an archivist/internet editor in ERR (Estonina Public Broadcasting) Klassikaraadio (2005–2008), lecturer of musical subjects in Tallinn University (2005–2008), musicology researcher (2006–2008) and lecturer of musicology (since 2009) at the former Department of Music of Tallinn University Institute of Fine Arts, since 2015 part of the restructured Baltic Film, Media, Arts and Communication School (BFM). Lock is a member of Estonian Arnold Schoenberg Society since 2003 (member of the board 2007–2012). He was main researcher in Estonian Research Agency (ETAg) projects lead by Kerri Kotta 2006–2008 (Analytical methods of graphic representation and their applications to the music of 20th century) and 2010–2012 (The functional aspects of music). Since 2009 is Lock member of several commissions at Tallinn University (e.g. Head of Art Field Council 2011–2013), since 2015 he is member of the Tallinn University BFM new BA curriculum Integrated Art, Music and Multimedia (IKUMUMU) development team, since 2016 he participates in the BFM choreography BA curriculum examination commission and in the Tallinn University interdisciplinary project ELU courses' development. 2014–2017 he participated as researcher in the state Estonian Language Terminology Program (ETP) conducted by the Tallinn University Center of Scientific Language (led by Peep Nemvalts, PhD) and participates since 2018 in following-up projects of the center, he also has regularly presented papers at TLU scientific language conferences. 2017–2018 he was the arts field responsible content coordinator, author and didactic for music of the Estonian state (EU funded) project “Digital Learning Resources for High Schools” (DÕV). As innovative part of the project a Musical composition course was created under the lead of composer Andrus Kallastu (develops further EAschS's earlier activities within the QUERKLANG GOES EUROPE project), that first time fills the self-creation and musicking components included in the curriculum with didactically systematic content.
In Gerhard Lock’s oeuvre, the central place is held by electro-acoustic music and its connection with other fields of art (painting, video, word, modern dance, performance). Also philosophy has been a creative source of inspiration. In the 1990ies music of Olivier Messiaen, Arvo Pärt and Lepo Sumera had a strong influence on him. In his electronic works, he is fascinated in creating a sound world rich in subtleties, where the aural result doesn’t let to perceive the work’s basic material which often are sounds of acoustical instruments, nature, breathing or artificial environments. In Lock’s focus of interest there is an attempt to feel out the boundaries of music and arts realms – his installation music can be played also in concerts as well as his music has been part of performance events.
In 2006 the multimedia performance Utopical Fugues was presented in Tallinn as a commissioned work of Polymer Culture Factory Festival. In 2007 the multimedial work ...in deep breathing they find harmony for clarinet, viola, electronics and interactive dancer was performed at the international new music festival Nyyd in Tallinn. His works have been frequently performed at the Autumn Festival of Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, also in Germany, Lithuania, Italy and the USA. From 2003, collaboration with the artist Rait Rosin has given significant impulses – considerable part of Gerhard Lock’s music is created cooperatively with Rosin (music for exhibitions, videos and performances). Together with Rosin he has taken part in exhibition installations Everything Is So Perfect! (Vaal Gallery, Tallinn) and The Swan in Town (City Gallery, Tallinn) in 2006, simplelifestars (Draakon Gallery, Tallinn) in 2008, and kopli fairies (Art Depoo Gallery, Tallinn) 2009. Since 2007 tight collaboration with the dancer and choreographer Kaspar Aus takes place – they have created performance works, research and choreomusical workshops (at Hiiumaa Dance festival 2011). Since 2012 Lock is member of the performance group LAIK with residencies at Okasroosikese loss (Tallinn, 2012), MoKS guest studio (Mooste, 2013) and performances in 2013 in Estonian National Library (Tallinn), the Tartu Printmuseum, and Haapsalu City Gallery. In February 2015 the first group exhibition "Valgustung" (Light appetence) took place in Haapsalu City Gallery, in Spring 2016 the group performed in the Kanut Guild SAAL Made in Estonia marathon as well as in the same year summer in residency at lake Peipus art center AmbulARToorium followed by the performance at the opening of the group member Juhan Vihterpal's personal exhibition in Amandus Adamson Ateliermuseum Paldiski.
As a musician Gerhard Lock has played 1984–2000 in several youth orchestras across Germany mainly as concert master of both violin groups including concert tours in several European countries (e.g. Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Ireland, Austria). The concert with the Saxonia-Anhalt Youth Symphony Orchestra in the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein was 1997 released as live-CD. He is founding member of Saxonia-Anhalt Youth Symphony Orchestra (1992) and young chamber ensemble Paul Hindemith (1998). Since 2010 he has tight creative collaborations with the Hiiumaa Dance Festival (HTF). 2011–2013 he was violinist of the folk-rock band Elvin's Tales. He has performed as improvisor (violin, piano, synthesizer) at Hiiumaa Dance Festival (2010-2016), and in several events (e.g. poetry evenings) in Tallinn (since 2013). 2016 he was soloist in the world's first performance of the world's first Bohlen-Pierce Violin concerto by his brother Hans-Gunter Lock in Tallinn Methodist Church.
As a musicologist, Gerhard Lock is devoted to the analysis of 20th and 21st century contemporary music as well as interdisciplinary arts research. He has collaborated with several researchers like Kerri Kotta (music theory), Maris Valk-Falk (music psychology), Tiina Selke and Marit Mõistlik-Tamm (music education). Since 2003 he has presented many papers and issued articles on topics in musicology, music education and interdisciplinary arts research in Estonia, other European countries (e.g. Latvia, Lithuania, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Serbia, Sweden, Finland, Ireland) as well as in the USA and Brazil, e.g. with wellknown publisher like Bärenreiter, Laaber, Pfau ja Helbling. He has issued publications with publishers like Eres Estonia, Scripta Musicalia and Estonian Arnold Schoenberg Society, Tallinn University, and Estonian Music Information Centre. He is founding and managing editor of two research journals with international editorial board of Tallinn University (CFMAE, Res Artis) as well as editorial board member of the interdicisplinary Accelerando: Belgrade Journal of Music and Dance (BJMD). He participates in the activities of several international societies and networks, e.g. EAS, ISME, SMEI (music pedagogy), ECA N+ (music, dance and film), and Querklang Goes Europe and CREUROPE (creativity). Numerous concert reviews have been published in magazines Leipzig-Almanach, Teater. Muusika. Kino, Muusika and gazette Sirp. He has written booklet texts for CD's of Andres Uibo (2006), Jüri Reinvere (2009) and Siim Liik (2013).
As an organizer Gerhard Lock has initiated and organized the project In Focus in collaboration with the festival Estonian Music Days, Kanuti Guild Hall, Tallinn City Library and Tallinn University with open lectures and round-table discussion Music criticism in focus as well as in collaboration with the blog of the music department of Tallinn City Library and the magazine Müürileht the contest In Focus of Young Critics (2010 and 2011). He regularly organises international academic conferences, e.g. symposia of Pärnu Days of Contemporary Music (since 2005) and Tallinn University Institute of Fine Arts Department of Music, since 2015 BFM CFMAE (The Changing Face of Music Education) annual international conferences (since 2009). Lock has founded and organizes since 2013 at Tallinn University BFM the Young Composers Lab (YCL) audiovisual concert series and round-table talks. From 2016 this concert series takes place in collaboration with EAMT Electronic Music Studio (Malle Maltis, Hans-Gunter Lock) and Tartu H. Eller Music School (Age Veeroos) under the new name Treffpunkt (meeting point) aiming to show young composers new and innovative, and in future also classics of electroacoustic music creations. Treffpunkt#3 took place first time within EAMT AutumnFest using the 360 degree video projection technology of Helios Hall. Since 2014 he is co-organizer and jury member of the Tallinn University BFM Digital Composition Contest for school pupils. Lock is a member of the 2018 established Estonian Electronic Music Society.
Gerhard Lock's homepage
Gerhard Lock's research homepage
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(Updated in January 2019)
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