An Empty Hungry Ghost | Johanna Summer & Malakoff Kowalski | TEDxBerlin Women

Quick Overview

The TEDxBerlin Women event featured a performance titled "An Empty Hungry Ghost" by Johanna Summer and Malakoff Kowalski, presenting a musical interpretation of Amy Beach and Allen Ginsberg's work in a dark, intimate setting with red accent lighting.

Key Points: The performance features Johanna Summer on piano and Malakoff Kowalski singing/performing, set against a dark stage with dramatic red lighting. The piece is titled "An Empty Hungry Ghost" and is based on material by Amy Beach and Allen Ginsberg. The event branding visible is TEDxBerlin Women, with the theme "momentum" and the date "4 november 2025". The performance is intimate, focusing closely on the intense concentration of the pianist and the expressive delivery of the vocalist. The pianist, Johanna Summer, is shown wearing glasses and has her hair in a ponytail, intensely focused on the sheet music on a grand piano (partially labeled STEIN and C. BECHSTEIN). Malakoff Kowalski wears a black outfit and a distinctive captain-style cap while singing into a microphone. The end screen thanks various partners, including Network Partners (Grace, medianet brandenburg, Female Leaders Network), Media Partners (The COLUMBIA ST, tipBerlin, THE BERLINER), Music Support (C. BECHSTEIN), Hospitality Partner (INNSIÍE by Meliá Berlin Mitte), and Catering Partner (AMRIT).

Context: This video captures a musical performance from the TEDxBerlin Women event themed "momentum," held on November 4, 2025. The specific segment showcases a collaboration between pianist Johanna Summer and vocalist/performer Malakoff Kowalski, presenting their interpretation of the piece "An Empty Hungry Ghost," which incorporates elements from Amy Beach and Allen Ginsberg.

Detailed Analysis

The video presents a live musical performance from TEDxBerlin Women, titled "An Empty Hungry Ghost," featuring Johanna Summer on piano and Malakoff Kowalski on vocals/harmonica. The setting is dark, emphasizing a moody atmosphere enhanced by deep red stage lighting. The performance begins with close-ups on Summer's hands rapidly playing the keys of a grand piano, which appears to be a Steinway (partially visible) and C. Bechstein (visible later). Kowalski, dressed entirely in black and wearing a distinctive cap, sings lines like "Don't you give angry with me," and later, while playing a harmonica, sings lines referencing fire and a plea not to leave ("If I were burned up now in flame / Could have as I should have meant / Don't you give angry with me / We will be tomorrow better"). The visual style utilizes double exposure effects blending the focused pianist and the intense vocalist at times. After the performance concludes, the audience applauds, and the screen transitions to a thank-you slide listing the event's partners across several categories: Network Partners (Grace, medianet brandenburg, Female Leaders Network), Media Partners (The COLUMBIA ST, tipBerlin, THE BERLINER), Hospitality Partner (INNSIÍE by Meliá Berlin Mitte), Music Support (C. BECHSTEIN), and Catering Partner (AMRIT).