On 17th January 2026, the composition ‘No Here’ by doctoral candidate Óscar Escudero—created in collaboration with composer and dramatist Belenish Moreno-Gil—received its premiere at the Ultraschall Festival Berlin, performed by ensemble mosaik. The work constitutes the second major artistic outcome of Escudero’s artistic-scholarly doctoral project ‘Composition of an Escape Room: Investigation of an Interactive Music Theatre Model’.

In No Here, Escudero transfers elements traditionally associated with escape rooms into the concert setting, transforming the audience into active participants. He challenges conventional modes of concert listening by assuming the role of the escape-room game master and introducing explicit rules and conventions shared by ensemble, conductor, and audience. Central to the work is the conscious experience and shaping of decision-making processes as an integral part of the musical flow. A key element of the piece is an interactive programme booklet, which must be read and used during the performance, making audience participation an essential component of the musical experience.

The concert was broadcast live on Deutschlandfunk Kultur. A recording is available at the following link:
https://ultraschallberlin.de/konzert/2026-01-17_ensemble-mosaik-murray/

PhD