Women on Wednesday – today we meet Elisabeth. She is a trumpet player from Auburn, Alabama and came to The Hague for aus Licht. Not only did she play in most of the parts of the production, but she also followed the Stockhausen Master Programme and gave an insightful presentation on musical embodiment and empowerment during our Master research symposium. Elisabeth, who specializes in the performance of new music asked herself the difficult question: what if I am rather a performer than only the composer’s vassal and empower myself on stage? This question came up early in Elisabeth’s career being frequently the only woman in the brass section, especially in Alabama. Often she felt that her identity as a trumpet player stood in contrast to her identity as a woman. Interestingly, the music of Stockhausen was a moment of liberation for her. Stockhausen not only composed music but also wrote a choreography to move in the performance space. After playing Stockhausen, I felt more powerful on stage and free. This project had a positive effect on me as a performing musician. Would you like to learn more about our research? Find more information here.