Anna Clementi

Anna Clementi, the Italian-Swedish singer, grew up in Rome, where she initially studied flute. She also completed an acting training there before moving to Berlin and meeting the composer Dieter Schnebel, with whom she studied experimental vocal music and experimental music theater at the then Hochschule der Künste (now UdK Berlin). This led to a multi-year collaboration; Clementi was a long-time member of Schnebel’s ensemble Die Maulwerker. She received her first vocal training in Rome with Michael Aspinall. In Berlin, she studied Belcanto with Mieko Kanesugi and jazz singing with Kara Johnstad. A special focus of her work is the oeuvre of John Cage, whose pieces she has performed worldwide.

Anna Clementi considers herself an “actress of the voice” rather than solely a singer. This approach reflects the diversity of her artistic expression, through which she constantly seeks new connections between voice, gesture, language, dance, and theater. In Berlin, she performed with the group Theater Ikaro and attended various dance schools, focusing on contemporary dance and contact improvisation. Clementi values the combination of play, lightness, and irony and is continuously exploring new modes of expression through her versatile voice.

She has performed at major internationally recognized festivals and premiered numerous works, many of which were composed specifically for her or developed in collaboration with her. She has worked with composers including Laura Bianchini, Emanuele Casale, Martin Daske, Fast Forward, Jürgen Grözinger, Michael Hirsch, Rupert Huber, Christian Kesten, Alexander Kolkowski, Olga Neuwirth, Phill Niblock, Daniel Ott, Josef Anton Riedl, Rainer Rubbert, Nicola Sani, Iris ter Schiphorst, Dieter Schnebel, Laurie Schwartz, Stepha Schweiger, Charlotte Seither, Elliott Sharp, Roberta Vacca, and others.

In Bochum and Düsseldorf, she performed a staged version of Arnold Schönberg’s Pierrot Lunaire, directed by Urs Troller. At Theater Bielefeld, she participated in Eurydike by Iris ter Schiphorst and Ojota IV by Daniel Ott. She also premiered Anna’s Wake by Iris ter Schiphorst in Berlin, and performed Silence Moves in Berlin and Dresden, as well as Aung in Malmö and Copenhagen. With Die Maulwerker, she staged Dieter Schnebel’s Glossolalie 2000 in 2000. Additionally, Clementi has performed and directed various versions of John Cage’s Song Books, as well as his Variations and Theatre Piece.

With Steffen Schleiermacher, Clementi released the CD John Cage: Voice and Piano. Her other recordings include Suzuki, Dehli 9, and Osam with Tosca, and tre with The Dining Rooms. In 2005, she released her first solo album, Love is a Reason, followed by Fräulein Annie in 2011. In 2023, she released the album Fluxus & NeoFluxus / Stolen Symphonie No. 1, featuring Anna Clementi and other performers.

Together with Laurie Schwartz, Anna Clementi forms the duo Divas Desviantes, performing regularly in Salvador (Brazil), New York City, and Berlin. She is also a member of the vocal group Voxnova Italia and the ensemble European Music Project (EMP). She collaborates regularly with pianist and composer Rupert Huber, drummer and composer Jürgen Grözinger, and Thomas Stern.