Helmut Lachenmann is not only an important voice in contemporary music, but also a gifted communicator of his aesthetic convictions. "Beauty as a refusal of habit" is his long-standing maxim, which could be used to describe his impressive life's work. With his depth of thought, his astute sense of humor and his openness to sharing his innermost thought processes with people, he repeatedly enters into dialogue about his work. Helmut Lachenmann will be in conversation with Oliver Wille, violinist with the Kuss Quartet and long-time workshop leader at the festival, at the opening of the Streichquartettfest, which marks the 90th anniversary of his birth.