Create together with the river Thames…

Concert halls and theatres are among the few remaining spaces in our contemporary world where the constant bombardment of information finally stops. For a few hours, phones and laptops rest, and our busy minds are invited to focus. But are we still capable of such simplicity? Can we do one thing at a time—merely listen, breathe, and be present?

Moments of Idleness / FLOW is an exploration of attention, stillness, and the subtle movement of time. Through moments of intentional pause and interruption initiated by performers and listeners—sometimes literally stopping mid-song—the performance plays with our collective ability to dwell in idleness. What arises when stimulation ceases? Boredom, anxiety, restlessness—or, perhaps, beauty, creativity, and longing?

For both artists and audience, this concert becomes an experiment in presence. The performers test their own capacity to resume the musical flow after silence; the listeners confront their reactions to these suspensions of sound. Within these pauses, imagination and awareness may emerge—the quiet space where art and innovation take root.

Moments of Idleness / FLOW is conceived as a site-specific performance along  the River Thames. The environment—wind, trees, light, ripples, birdsong—becomes an active collaborator. Music serves here as a dialogue between human expression and the Thames itself, celebrating the river's flow while inviting attention through shared presence.

After the performance, the audience is invited to join the artists for a cup of tea by the river—to exchange reflections, impressions, and silences, continuing the concert's theme of contemplation and connection. This Thames-centric work honors the Totally Thames festival's river celebration and explores sustainability through presence.

About the performers

LANA BODE, PIANO

Lana Bode is an American-British pianist and artistic director, whose performances have been hailed as ‘expertly calibrated’ (BBC Music Magazine) and ‘deeply examined’ (Gramophone). She has shared the stage with singers of the highest calibre, including Lotte Betts-Dean, Olivia Boen, Jess Dandy, Mimi Doulton, Alessandro Fisher, Jennifer France, Anna Harvey and Mark Padmore. An acclaimed and in-demand recitalist throughout Europe and the USA, Lana has performed at the Aldeburgh Festival, Alter Saal Heidelberg, Barbican Hall, Southbank Centre, Villa Elisabeth and Wigmore Hall. She can also be heard in BBC Radio broadcasts. A champion of new music, Lana has performed the world premieres of works by Charlotte Bray and Mark-Anthony Turnage. Lana is co-founder and Artistic Director of the Virginia Woolf & Music concert project, and a member of faculty at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. Her discography includes acclaimed releases on the Delphian, NMC, Ulysses Arts and Voces8 record labels. 

https://www.lanabode.com/

MILENA KNAUß, SOPRANO

Soprano Milena Knauß combines vocal elegance with bold creative vision. Early engagements have taken the soprano to Theater Aachen and the Teatro Regional del Biobío in Chile, where she appeared as Concepción (L’heure espagnole) and Anne Frank (The Diary of Anne Frank). Her repertoire spans the lyric and youthful dramatic soprano roles, including Mimì, Malwina, First Lady, Countess, and Leonore.

A dedicated interpreter of contemporary music and innovative music theatre, she is a co-creator of the feminist opera cycle “Fuck Marry Kill” in Berlin, portrayed Queen Elizabeth in the premiere of Harriet Bushman’s Richard III at the Roman Theatre Festival St Albans, and is a member of the Lied Consort, an ensemble devoted to contemporary art song. In concert, she performs works by Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Rossini, Dvořák, Brahms, Fauré, and Poulenc, collaborating with musicians from the Beethoven Orchester Bonn, RSB Berlin, and the Thüringen Philharmonie Gotha-Eisenach.

https://milena-knauss.de/

Watch Lana and Milena perform

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