In 2006 the State Music Council of North-Rhine Westphalia brought to life the State Youth Ensemble for New Music. In 2009, Ensemble Musikfabrik took over the artistic direction of the group, under the new name of “Studio Musikfabrik”. The working position of the group side by side with a professional ensemble offers a plethora of opportunities in which they can grow: they are tutored in interpreting new music and its labyrinth of extended techniques, but also receive insight into the day to day life of an ensemble professionally engaged in new music.

Studio Musikfabrik sports a core of 15 musicians that can augment depending on the type of project at hand. This vibrant young group consists of talented musicians from 14 to 25 years of age that have been successful in the “Jugend musiziert” competition, or have been able to gather experience in chamber music and perform at a high level with other youth ensembles.

Within the framework of RUHR.2012 and the Ruhrtriennale, Studio Musikfabrik enjoyed great success in presenting the world premiere of Hans Werner Henze’s music theatre work Gisela! Oder: Die merk- und denkwürdigen Wege des Glücks. Studio Musikfabrik was also the first youth ensemble to perform at the 2012 International Summer Courses for New Music in Darmstadt. Together with composition lecturers, the young musicians workshopped and presented works by Rebecca Saunders, Earle Brown, James Tenney and the premiere of a new work by Dieter Mack.

Touring for concerts and workshops takes the Youth Ensemble for New Music through many parts of Europe and further. 2013 was Studio Musikfabrik touring in Southeast Asia and played in Singapore, Malaysia and Bangkok. In fall 2015 the ensemble travelled to the USA in order to cooperate with the DePaul University School of Music and the Youth Ensemble of Chicago Arts Initiative. Those cooperations lasted beyond the journeys so they could present their results at the International Summer Courses for New Music in Darmstadt twice yet.

With classics of modernism and a lot more world premieres is Studio Musikfabrik continuing to play at renowned festivals, international concert halls and well-known organisers.