The ensemble attacca berlin was founded by Konstantia Gourzi in 1991 during her studies in Berlin. It consisted of members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestral Academy, freelance musicians, and graduates of the Hochschule der Künste Berlin (now UdK). Founding her first ensemble, it was not only musical quality that was important to Gourzi, but also the emotionalconnection between the members of the ensemble. The latter influences the sound and makes a particular energy audible in the performances. Konstantia Gourzi remains convinced to this phenomenon today.

Early important performances included for example concerts in the Minsk Contemporary Music Festival or in the Kammermusiksaal of the Berlin Philharmonie (1992), during which twelve world premieres from composers from both parts of Berlin were played. Over the course of one evening, half of the works were performed by the Scharoun Ensemble the other half by the ensemble attacca berlin.

From the beginning, it was important to Konstantia Gourzi to conceive concert series with particular performance concepts. This is how the international “Time zones” series was born, which musically examines all sorts of interweaving elements. The concerts aimed to make connections sensuously palpable, which normally remain unnoticed. These may be musico–historical, geographical, sociocultural or aesthetical questions. A two-year scholarship from the DAAD facilitated extended travel and research after composers living there and their works, who and which also considered similar issues in many different contexts. “Time zones” presented the results in the Gropius-Bau Berlin, the Otto-Braun-Saal, the Kammermusiksaal of the Berlin Konzerthaus, and as part of the Berlin Festwochen.