Eigensinn und Gegenüber

To mark Iris ter Schiphorst’s 70th birthday, *Eigensinn und Gegenüber* presents an extraordinary portrait of one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary music—spanning new music, punk, electronic sound art, language, and performance.

Rather than a traditional monograph, this volume unfolds as a multifaceted archive of essays, work commentaries, lectures, libretti, letters, sketches, notes, and previously unpublished materials. Historical documents, scores, photographs, and illustrations by Laura Talamini engage in a dialogue with one another, revealing how closely composition, writing, thought, and social engagement are intertwined in ter Schiphhorst’s work. QR codes featuring new recordings by the Zafraan Ensemble lead directly to key works and provide immediate access to her music.

This paints a picture of an artist who consistently moves between disciplines and defies any aesthetic categorization. Feminist themes, the body, the voice, media, language, and political thought permeate her work, as does a passion for experimentation and the productive space in between. The book invites readers not only to read Iris ter Schiphorth’s work but also to experience it as an open interweaving of sound, text, and image—and to rediscover one of the most fascinating contemporary composers.