VIO: so Thetys could nourish

The Vienna Improvisers Orchestra (VIO), founded by Michael Fischer in 2004, is one of the world’s most long-standing improvisation orchestras. The VIO’s unique approach, known as “instant composition conducting,” involves creating complex improvised music for large ensembles in real-time. This method is an evolution of Butch Morris’s “Conduction” technique, which uses hand signs to guide the ensemble. The VIO’s instant compositions are characterized by several key principles:

• Ad Hoc Creation: The music is created spontaneously by both the conductor and the musicians, with no pre-planned structures or parts.
• Minimal Rehearsal: The ensemble only has a brief run-through of the hand signs before a performance.
• Long, Narrative Pieces: The compositions are typically lengthy, lasting between 35 and 50 minutes.
• Rotating Ensemble: A new group of musicians performs at each concert, often including at least one new member.

The orchestra has performed at major international festivals and venues, including the Moers Festival in Germany, Wien Modern, and Porgy & Bess in Vienna. They have also appeared at prominent art institutions like Belvedere21 and Künstlerhaus Wien.

Michael Fischer, the VIO’s artistic director, is a tenor saxophone and “feedback saxophone” player, as well as a soundscape composer. As a conductor, he has led improvising orchestras and large ensembles at institutions and festivals worldwide, including Johns Hopkins University, the University of California Irvine, and the Creative Music Festival in Japan.