Born in Dresden, working as A&R in Hamburg, travelling in Brazil, living in Berlin: Judith Antkowiak is a child of the world. With her fresh energy and a purity of expression, with a remarkable voice and a nod and wink to the 1920 vibe, she has played in large venues and small, and leaves no heart unturned.
Judith Antkowiak is live on 18th Feb 2025 in Neue Kammerspiele at their top secret Foyer Concerts, beloved by its insider scene, on the edge of Berlin. So we asked her some questions…
Vulnerability and pure vocal power: on vocals and guitar, the Berlin-based chansonnier interprets poetic songs from different regions of the world: from French-language chansons and Brazilian music to jazzy English and classics with which German divas such as Hildegard Knef and Marlene Dietrich once shone. A musical journey with depth and humor.
indieBerlin: Tell us a little bit about your musical background
Judith Antkowiak: My mother being a classical conductor and music pedagogue, I grew up in a family where music played an essential role. In later years, I gained a lot of inspiration from genres like Jazz, Nueva Canción, and Fado. As from childhood on I had a great linguistic affinity, I soon dedicated myself to singing songs in different languages.
indieBerlin: If your music was a movie, which genre would it be in?
Judith: A French romance: full of poetry and magical landscapes, spiced up with a good dose of sensuality and humour.
indieBerlin: What was the last concert you went to?
Judith: Zaho de Sagazan
indieBerlin: What was the nicest compliment you’ve ever been given?
Judith: “Thank you for being incarnated at the same time as me!”
My music as a movie? A French romance: full of poetry and magical landscapes, spiced up with a good dose of sensuality and humour.
Judith antkowiak
indieBerlin: How do you think the audience in Berlin is different to the audience on the countryside?
Judith: I feel people in Berlin are a bit more used to hearing music in different languages.
But it really depends on each person’s background: I have met very openminded people in the countryside, but it has also happened occasionally, especially with elderly people, that I have been asked if I could sing more songs in German.
indieBerlin: In ten years you look back to today and think:
Judith: That was hard work and seeding, but so many precious learnings!
indieBerlin: How would you like to see the music industry changing?
Judith: I would like all artists to get a bigger share of the revenue created on the base of their music. I hope live concerts of any size continue to be appreciated and I wish for new holistic performance concepts to be made up (also by myself 😀) and I wish for structures in the music business to become more family-friendly.
“Die in Berlin lebende Chansonniere interpretiert bewegende Lieder aus verschiedenen Weltregionen, so dem französisch- und englischsprachigen Raum, der iberischen Halbinsel und Südamerika und nimmt ihr Publikum mit auf eine musikalische Reise.”
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indieBerlin: a. What is your preference and b. Where do you think the music industry is headed:
NFTs, mp3s, more streaming, less streaming, CDs, vinyl, cassettes, something else entirely?
Judith: I think, streaming will remain relevant, and perhaps vinyl for some aficionados. I expect NFTs to gain more popularity within the next years, and I hope this will contribute to a fairer and more transparent profit share.
indieBerlin: How would you define indie? What do you personally think it means?
Judith: “indie” means to me: to create mostly independently from big corporations and state structures. It means to always seek ways of working as freely as possible.
indieBerlin: What do you like most about indieBerlin?
Judith: I like the value-based approach of looking at new technologies and the chances they hold for indie creators, as well as the way indieBerlin connects people. ❤
Judith Antkowiak Website | Judith Antkowiak Instagram
Main photo and featured photos in the article photo copyright Malina Ebert
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