New holder of the Claussen Simon Foundation opera scholarship

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Clemens K. Thomas is the new recipient of the composition and doctoral scholarship jointly offered by the Claussen-Simon Foundation, the Hamburg State Opera, and the Institute for Cultural Innovation Research at the Hamburg University of Music and Drama.

For the Hamburg State Opera’s opera stabile, Clemens K. Thomas has received a commission to compose a music theater piece that will premiere during the 2024–25 season under the title “Dollhouse.” As part of the Claussen-Simon Foundation’s “Dissertation Plus” fellowship program, he will simultaneously write and submit an artistic-scholarly dissertation at the University of Music and Drama on strategies of transmedia storytelling at the intersection of art, education, and marketing. The funding begins on October 1, 2022.

In addition Prof. Dr. Reinhard Flender, Director of the Institute for Cultural Innovation Research at the Hamburg University of Music and Drama: “Artistic innovation requires a funding framework in which theory and practice are intertwined. The Claussen-Simon Foundation’s opera fellowship provides this in an ideal way, as the dissertation stimulates theoretical reflection on artistic work, while the world premiere of Clemens Thomas’s new music theater composition is professionally realized by the State Opera. It is to be expected that something entirely new will emerge here, both aesthetically and in terms of musical dramaturgy.”

Biography
Born in Karlsruhe in 1992, Clemens K. Thomas studied composition at the Freiburg University of Music under Prof. Johannes Schöllhorn and Prof. Cornelius Schwehr, as well as harpsichord under Prof. Dr. Robert Hill. His primary interests lie in the creative engagement with musical tradition, vocal music (particularly music theater), and the intersection between everyday objects and musical instruments. Time and again, his compositions revolve around play and playfulness, the world of players, toys, and instrumental performance. In addition to vocal and music-theater pieces, his portfolio includes site-specific compositions for concerts in a mine or on a bus, as well as installation-based works. Clemens’ works have been performed by ensembles such as Ensemble Recherche, the Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart, and Ensemble Proton Bern, at venues including the Staatstheater Braunschweig, the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, the Hamburger Bahnhof Berlin, the ECLAT Festival, and Opera Zuid in Maastricht. His music has been broadcast on stations including Deutschlandfunk Kultur, SWR 2, and SR 2.

The Claussen-Simon Foundation
The Claussen-Simon Foundation supports talented young people at various stages of their educational, academic, professional, and personal development. In the funding areas “Science & Higher Education,” “Education & School,” and “Art & Culture,” we offer scholarship programs and project grants. The “Dialogue & Perspective” area brings together cross-program non-financial support initiatives, including seminars, lecture series, discussion series, and other formats for exchange.
The Claussen-Simon Foundation has been a foundation under civil law with legal capacity, headquartered in Hamburg, since 2012. It was established in 1982 as a trust foundation by Georg W. Claussen—then Chairman of the Supervisory Board and previously long-time Chairman of the Executive Board of Beiersdorf AG—to mark the 100th anniversary of the company’s founding. A bequest from his cousin Ebba Simon significantly increased the foundation’s assets in 1999. Ebba Simon thus joined Georg W. Claussen in his mission to create opportunities and spaces for growth for researchers, students, and young people who pursue their interests and professional passions in science, education, and culture with dedication and a commitment to excellence.

In 2022, the Claussen-Simon Foundation will celebrate its 40th anniversary: Since its founding, the foundation has awarded 40 million euros in grants—30 million euros of that amount in the last decade alone. Since then, approximately 2,000 young people have pursued their secondary, academic, and artistic education with scholarships from the Claussen-Simon Foundation, and approximately 10,000 young people have received support through scientific, educational, and cultural initiatives.