Mike Litt in conversation with Hauschka

How are you, Düsseldorf?

Our podcast "Alle Rhein" for culture in times of Corona - now every Friday until further notice. What Mike Litt wants to know: How are the talk guests experiencing the surreal time of isolation? What projects are they still working on? And what do they miss most about Düsseldorf?
In episode 8, Mike talks to Hauschka.

The pianist and composer Volker Bertelmann, alias Hauschka, has lived in Düsseldorf since the early 1990s. As a musician, he is an international star. He first became known as the "king of the prepared piano". He manipulates the strings with objects such as corks and balls to create very special sounds. At his concerts all over the world, he always likes to talk about Düsseldorf. But that's not all: as a festival organizer, he brings international stars to Düsseldorf once a year - for the Approximation Festival.

Hauschka is now in demand worldwide as a composer of film music - for major Hollywood productions and Netflix series. Most recently, he has also composed for the ARD "Tatort" and for the feature film "Als Hitler das rosa Kaninchen stahl". He was nominated for an Oscar for his collaboration with composer Dustin O'Halloran on the film music for Garth Davis' production "Lion - The Long Way Home". His latest album "A Different Forest" was released in 2019.

In "Alle Rhein", he reveals why he - as a musician - actually feels like he is constantly in quarantine - because as a composer, he spends a lot of time with himself. That's why Hauschka loves live performances without a computer all the more. For him, concerts are encounters in which he seeks a connection with the audience by always telling people at the beginning what his normal everyday life in Düsseldorf looks like.

But also to make it clear to guests that he doesn't live in Berlin, where many people think he lives. He appreciates both the city feel and the village charm of Düsseldorf due to the short distances. And it was here that he found his personal and professional happiness - at the moment when he said to himself: "I'm ready for happiness to come to me!"

Our host

Mike Litt was born in the US state of Virginia and lived in Bochum for many years. The globetrotter usually works in Cologne but lives with his family in the beautiful Düsseltal district of Düsseldorf. He is a radio presenter (1Live, WDR 2, DLF Nova), a DJ with Mayday festival experience and an author (‘The loneliest DJ in the world’). For our podcast, he holds fascinating conversations with other people from Düsseldorf’s cultural scene.