Creativity at the Intersection of Music, Humor, and Science: Musician and Comedian Samuel Kilian Visits the Chair

How do creative ideas come about? This question was the focus of an inspiring keynote talk followed by a discussion between the department and musician-comedian Samuel Kilian, who first treated the participants to a brief sample of his artistic talent. In the ensuing discussion, he offered fascinating insights into his creative working methods and openly explained how ideas emerge, are developed further, and are ultimately transformed into artistic formats. In addition to members of the current department team, alumni of the department and Katharina Spraul also participated in the discussion. The focus was on questions regarding the prerequisites for creative processes, dealing with inspiration, and the parallels between artistic and scientific creativity. With Samuel Kilian, the Chair welcomed another exciting thought leader who has opened up new perspectives for research, teaching, and teamwork. He thus joins a series of high-profile guests, including Thomas Pletzinger, author of Dirk Nowitzki’s biography and co-producer of the ZDF documentary on the Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner brothers. The Chair is thus continuing its tradition of regularly inviting prominent figures from various sectors of society to gain new insights into innovation, creativity, and collaboration.