Ensemble – Nico and the Navigators

NICO AND THE NAVIGATORS

NICO AND THE NAVIGATORS was founded in 1998 by Nicola Hümpel and Oliver Proske at the Bauhaus Dessau. From 1999 to 2006, they developed their projects at the Sophiensæle in Berlin, where the ensemble quickly gained international attention for its visually striking signature style. Since the opening of Radialsystem in 2006, they have been continuously present there.

With projects inspired by composers such as John Adams, Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Philippe Boesmans, Georg Friedrich Händel, Leoš Janáček, György Kurtág, György Sándor Ligeti, Gustav Mahler, Giacomo Puccini, Gioachino Rossini, Fausto Romitelli, Franz Schubert, and Heinrich Schütz, they are now considered one of Europe’s leading music theatre ensembles.

The ensemble has performed worldwide at renowned theatres, opera houses, and festivals. Venues have included Bauhaus Dessau, Berliner Philharmonie, Bregenzer Festspiele, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Dom Musiki in Moscow, Elbphilharmonie, Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg, Händel Festspiele Halle, Oper Halle, Kammerspiele München, Kampnagel Hamburg, Konzerthaus Berlin, Kunstfest Weimar, Opéra-Comique Paris, Opéra de Rouen, Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, Radialsystem Berlin, Residenztheater München, Münchener Biennale, Schwetzinger SWR Festspiele, Staatsoper Hannover, Staatsoper Stuttgart, UIMT Festival in Korea, and the Wiener Festwochen.

With the political farce “Ein Volksbürger”, NICO AND THE NAVIGATORS staged a 2024 production based on research by the Verfassungsblog team led by Maximilian Steinbeis. On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Association of Capital Journalists, the Bundespressekonferenz opened its doors for the first time in its history to host an artistic intervention.

Their second production that same year, “The whole Truth about Lies”, focused on the strongest weapon of populists: the lie. Blending pop, classical music, and original arrangements – and employing both old theatrical illusions and new AI technologies – the piece explored self-deception, external control, and white lies. The production was most recently presented in April 2025 at the Shanghai Concert Hall.

In 2011, the ensemble was awarded the George Tabori Prize, and in 2016, Nicola Hümpel received the Konrad Wolf Prize from the Academy of Arts. The recording of the music theatre production “Force & Freedom”— created in collaboration with the Kuss Quartet, EuroArts, and ZDF/Arte — was nominated for the Opus Klassik ward in 2021. During the pandemic, the music video series “Present” garnered over 150,000 views on social media. The recording of “Ein Volksbürger”, was streamed in six languages in the ZDF/Arte media library and watched by more than 200,000 viewers. The production “Ein Volksbürger”, was nominated for the 2025 Berliner Theatertreffen and made it onto the shortlist.

Since 2019, Oliver Proske has been developing new innovative stage technologies together with scientists and programmers, focusing on camera tracking, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence. These technologies have been regularly tested and further developed in dedicated labs with the ensemble. In cooperation with HTW Berlin, an AI-supported camera tracking system was created that enables flexible, automated close-ups on stage and opens up new artistic modes of real-time expression. Oliver Proske’s AR loop machine was nominated for the AureaAward in 2022.

Beyond her work with the ensemble, Nicola Hümpel regularly shares her approach to guided improvisation at leading drama and music academies, including a long-standing teaching engagement at the Otto Falckenberg Schule in Munich since 2009. She also serves on various juries, such as for the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes, advising on talent in music theatre direction. Oliver Proske offers workshops and lectures at a wide range of educational and cultural institutions, focusing on the intersection of stage design and digital technology.

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