Clemens Christian Poetzsch in Brno: Music, Memory and the Bridge Between Worlds

Clemens Christian Poetzsch is one of the most distinctive voices on today’s European music scene — a pianist and composer whose work moves fluidly between classical tradition, jazz improvisation and the subtle textures of contemporary sound. His compositions weave clarity with vulnerability, structure with silence. Beyond the concert stage, he writes music for film, theater and contemporary dance, bringing a refined sense of atmosphere and emotional precision to visual storytelling. Over the past decade, his performances have taken him from Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie to major stages in Japan, the United Kingdom and across Europe. The Czech Republic has been an important stop along his musical journey. His first performances here in 2017, followed by the “Remember Tomorrow” CD release tour in 2019, introduced Czech audiences to an artist whose sincerity and emotional depth transcend genre and language.

So when, on November 19, 2024, Clemens Christian Poetzsch arrived at Brno’s main station, it was not a first encounter but a quiet return — to a city that had already become part of his musical geography. Thanks to the initiative of the Multicultural Center Brusinka, his appearance in Brno marked not only another step in his artistic path, but also the beginning of a shared dialogue that continues to grow through sound and connection.

A Year Later: Expanding the Dialogue

In October 2025, the collaboration between the Multicultural Center Brusinka and Clemens Christian Poetzsch grew into a broader cultural project supported by the Czech-German Future Fund. Under the title "A Personal Musical Journey Connecting Czech and German Cultural Spaces," the program invited artists, students and the public to explore how music can build bridges across generations and borders.

The event began on October 10 with an atmospheric workshop in the Crystal Hall of the Old Town Hall Brno — a space filled with daylight, curiosity and the soft echoes of piano notes. Participants, including young musicians and volunteers, explored how to paint sound and translate rhythm into visual emotion. It was not a masterclass, but a shared exploration of perspectives and imagination.

The following evening, October 11, the Besední dům, the oldest home of the Brno Philharmonic, opened its doors to Clemens Christian Poetzsch’s music. The hall — alive with history and resonance — became a vessel for his artistry: a blend of classical grace, jazz-inspired spontaneity and cinematic atmosphere. The evening featured moments of improvisation and the premiere of a new composition from his forthcoming album. His performance led the audience through a landscape of emotion, where every silence spoke as eloquently as each tone. For him, music is freedom — a space to question, to explore and to rediscover one’s own voice through sound. He also joined a short tour through Brno’s historic center, discovering local landmarks and meeting the volunteers who helped bring the project to life.

Brno as a Cultural Bridge

Through this year’s expanded program, Brno reaffirmed its role as a city of dialogue and creative connection. The project united Czech and German partners — including Goethe-Institut, Masaryk University and the Czech-German Youth Forum — as well as young volunteers supported by Kyndryl. Together they created an atmosphere of openness and artistic exchange that will continue through new concerts, residencies and educational projects in 2026.

These encounters go beyond art. They show how the arts can build trust, inspire empathy and remind us that true creativity knows no borders. In every conversation, every shared note and moment of silence, a network of friendship and understanding takes shape — one that reflects the vision of the Czech-German Future Fund: strong actors, solid networks and living bridges between people.

Clemens Christian Poetzsch’s artistic voice is now deeply intertwined with Brno — with its concert halls, its musicians and its open-hearted audiences. His presence here has become part of the city’s soundscape, echoing in classrooms, rehearsal rooms and in the memories of two October evenings filled with warmth, collaboration and light.

We express our sincere gratitude to the Czech-German Future Fund for its generous support, to all partners, artists and volunteers who helped make this meeting of cultures possible. Through projects like this, the bridges between Czech and German creativity grow stronger — with every note and every shared story. Supported by the Czech-German Future Fund Partners: Goethe-Institut Česko, Brno Daily, Tschechien News, Czech-German Youth Forum, Faculty of Social Studies at Masaryk University, Kyndryl, AT&T cultural department, ANNO JMK and Delia Arts Foundation. __________________________________ As this article goes online, Clemens has released a new piece from his Noctunes series — a cycle inspired by the quiet hours of the night and the cities that have stayed with him. The latest chapter is devoted to Beirut. The recording is available here: https://nm.lnk.to/noctunesIN