Anna Vilenska is a musicologist, lecturer, and researcher of contemporary music. She has reinvented the traditional format of music lectures, making them visual, accessible, emotional, and useful for the audience. In October, Vilenska will give a series of lectures in major European cities. The program spans classical music and jazz, avant-garde and background music, the role of women in music history, and new horizons opened by artificial intelligence.
The lectures will take place in the following cities: Vienna, Zurich, Berlin, Munich, Düsseldorf, Amsterdam.
Vienna — “How Music Became Classical”
A lecture on why “classical” became high culture. How the term “classical music” emerged, why dedicated concert halls were built, and where the reverent attitude toward Beethoven and other composers came from. A discussion on whether we should overcome the “glass partition” between the listener and culture.
Zurich — “AI and Music: Evolution from 2014 to 2025”
From the first generative models to today’s algorithmic composers. How AI learned to write music, what mistakes it made, and why different models “think” differently. Final experiment — guessing who authored a fragment: a human or AI.
Berlin — “Jazz: Chords, Rhythms, Form — Recipe and History”
Jazz as music of the body and improvisation. What happens on stage, how styles differ, and why jazz is closer than it seems. A detailed breakdown of the chords, rhythms, and forms that make up this “mysterious” music.
Munich — “Background Music”
The history of background music — from Brian Eno’s ambient and melodies for aerophobic passengers to elevator compositions and on-hold tones. How the brain perceives such music and why it carries the imprint of an entire era.
Düsseldorf — “Avant-garde: What Was That?”
The rise and decline of the 20th-century musical avant-garde. Why composers turned to radical experiments and why many later abandoned these practices. A look at key figures, movements, and the relevance of the avant-garde today.
Amsterdam — “Women in Music: from Hildegard to Taylor Swift”
The history of women composers from Hildegard of Bingen to Taylor Swift. What it meant to be a woman in the musical world of different eras, how their work differed from men’s, and whether it can be called equal. A search for common threads in the biographies and destinies of women composers across centuries.
| Date: | 24.10.2025 |
| Time: | 19:00 |
| Venue: | Kulturzentrum Trudering |
| Address: | Wasserburger Landstraße 32, 81825 München |
| Buy ticket | |
| All dates and venues | |
Xafarix Bar
Av. Dom Carlos I 69, 1200-647 Lisboa (Portugal)
CongressPark Wolfsburg
Heinrich-Heine-Straße 1, 38440 Wolfsburg
Nope Bar
R. de Miguel Bombarda 316, 4050-180 Porto (Portugal)
Forum 98
Oerlikonerstrasse 98, 8057 Zürich (Schweiz)
Stadtteilzentrum KroKuS
Thie 6, 30539 Hannover
Russisches Haus Berlin
Friedrichstraße 176, 10117 Berlin
The Perseus Feather
Rue Sans Souci 51, 1050 Ixelles Brussels (Belgique)
Russisches Haus Berlin
Friedrichstraße 176, 10117 Berlin
Congress Park Hanau
Schrottplatz 1, 63450 Hanau
Kurtheater Bad Kissingen
Theaterplatz, 97688 Bad Kissingen
A Lab
Overhoeksplein 2, 1031 KS Amsterdam (Nederland)
Orpheum Nuremberg
Johannisstraße 32A, 90419 Nürnberg
FourSnacks (PUSH)
Neue Mainzer Str. 24, 60311 Frankfurt am Main
Kurhaus
Kurhausplatz 1, 65189 Wiesbaden
Theater Akzent
Theresianumgasse 18, 1040 Wien
Event-Theater Schwanenhöfe
Erkrather Str. 234 B, 40233 Düsseldorf
ROCKHAL
5, av. du Rock'N'Roll, L-4361 Esch/Alzette (Lëtzebuerg)
Carlitos Comedy Club
65 Rue du Fort Neipperg, L-2230 Luxembourg (Gare) Lëtzebuerg
Russisches Haus Berlin
Friedrichstraße 176, 10117 Berlin
Gasteig / Carl-Orff-Saal
Rosenheimerstr. 5, 81667 München
Kulturzentrum Gorod
Hansastraße 181, 81373 München
The Beast Comedy club
Pfluggässlein 10, 4001 Basel (Schweiz)
Indigo at The O2
Peninsula Square, SE10 0DX London (England)
Zuiderkerk
Zuiderkerkhof 72, 1011 WB Amsterdam (Nederland)
ComedyHaus
Albisriederstrasse 16, 8003 Zürich (Schweiz)
PUSH Comedy Club
Neue Mainzer Str. 24, 60311 Frankfurt am Main
Stadthalle Mülheim an der Ruhr
Theodor-Heuss-Platz 1, 45479 Mülheim an der Ruhr
Acting International
55 Rue des Alouettes, 75019 Paris