Free Music Production (FMP) in brief
1969 - 1999 in retrospect

1966

• first collective activities of improvising musicians in Germany

1968

• first Total Music Meeting - since then annually until 1999

1969

• first Workshop Freie Musik (3 Nights of Living Music and Minimal Art),
  since then an annual event until 1998 (with one exception), (in collaboration with
  the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin)
• foundation of Free Music Production (FMP)
• first record production with the Manfred Schoof Orchestra,
  FMP 0010 European Echoes

1970

• first Free Concerts at Townhall

1971

• von der Heydt-Prize (Art award of the town of Wuppertal) to Peter Brötzmann

1972

• start-up of collective management of Free Music Production (FMP) by
  Brötzmann, Schlippenbach, Kowald, Schönenberg & Gebers

1973

• first record productions with musicians from the GDR
• Award of the Artists Council Münster to Hans Reichel
• first financial support for the Total Music Meeting by the Berliner Festspiele

1976

• termination of collective management model - Gebers takes over exclusive responsibility for Free Music Production (FMP)

1977

• Critics' award of the Association of German Critics to Jost Gebers and
  Free Music Production (FMP), category music
• Brötzmann-Bennink-Duo and Schlippenbach-Johansson-Duo at Berlin Now
  project in New York

1978

• Art Award of the City of Berlin to Peter Brötzmann, Han Bennink and
  Alexander von Schlippenbach
• John Tchicai as first improvising musician DAAD artist in residence in Berlin
• first concerts of musicians from the GDR in the West at FMP events
• documentation For Example (10 years Workshop Freie Musik)

1979

• concert project Jazz Now/Jazz from the GDR

1980

• documentation Snapshot/Jazz from the GDR
• Brötzmann/Miller/Moholo, Fred Van Hove and Hans Reichel at Berlin-program
  in Los Angeles
• UDJ-award (Award of the Union of German Jazz Musicians) for productions
  with the Friedemann Graef Quintet and the Manfred Schoof Quintet

1981

• Harry Miller DAAD artist in residence in Berlin

1982

• Berlin Jazz Workshop Orchestra at the Berlin program in Amsterdam
• Free Music Production (FMP) with 15 musicians in Florence at the
  Festival Berlin, Berlin

1983

• Fred Van Hove DAAD artist in residence in Berlin

1984

• FMP at the Sound Unity Festival in New York
• collaboration in the film Rising Tones Cross
• von der Heydt-Prize (Art award of the town of Wuppertal) to Peter Kowald
• Peter Kowald DAAD artist in residence in New York
• Richard Teitelbaum DAAD artist in residence in Berlin

1986

• first collaboration of the American pianist Cecil Taylor with European musicians
  during the Workshop Freie Musik
• completion of FMP recording studio
• first concert of the series Just Music/Konzerte im Studio

1987

• German Record Critics Award to Hans Reichel
• Diamanda Galas DAAD artist in residence in Berlin

1988

• Improvised Music I with the European Improvisors Orchestra within the
  framework Berlin European Capital of Culture
• Improvised Music II with pianist Cecil Taylor in East and West Berlin
  within the framework Berlin European Capital of Culture

1989

• 20^th anniversary of Free Music Production (FMP)
• documentation Cecil Taylor in Berlin ´88
• launch of the CD label FMP/FREE MUSIC PRODUCTION - An Edition
  of Improvised Music

1990

• German Record Critics Award for the entire record production and for the documentation Cecil Taylor in Berlin ´88 to Jost Gebers
• Cecil Taylor DAAD artist in residence in Berlin

1991

• closing down of the vinyl label FMP-Records/Uhlklang

1992

• 25^th Total Music Meeting

1993

• 25^th Workshop Freie Musik
• Closing down of the FMP sound studio due to inflated costs

1994

• 25^th anniversary of Free Music Production (FMP)
• Joëlle Léandre DAAD artist in residence in Berlin
• Sainkho Namtchylak DAAD artist in residence in Berlin
• Albert Mangelsdorff-Prize to Alexander von Schlippenbach

1995

• last Summer Music concerts (no further funding)
• last Free Concerts (no further funding)
• Lawrence Butch Morris DAAD artist in residence in Berlin

1996

• Steve Lacy DAAD artist in residence in Berlin
• Albert Mangelsdorff-Prize to Peter Kowald

1997

• Albert Mangelsdorff-Prize to Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky

1998

• 30^th (-1) and last Workshop Freie Musik (no further funding)

1999

• 30^th anniversary of Free Music Production (FMP)
• last Total Music Meeting
• termination of business activities of Free Music Production (FMP)

2000

• handing over/sale of the existing label to FMP-Publishing
• handing over/sale of the studio and PA equipment to Podewil
• handing over/sale of inventory and accessories to Ms. Schleif
• Commencement of archiving (posters, programs, documents, music) plus
  continuation of production activities for the existing label.
• Winding up of Free Music Production (FMP)
• Planning, organization & realization of TMMcompact

2002

• Completion of winding up of the business
• Closure of offices in Berlin

2003

• Jost Gebers moves to Borken (Westphalia)
• Continuation of archive and production work

2004

• Planning and realization of FMP website
• Taking over of photo archive of Werner Bethsold (early years of FMP)
• Termination of production activities of the existing label
• Continuation of archive work
  

2005

• Eduard von der Heydt-Prize (Art award of the town of Wuppertal)
  to Peter Brötzmann

2007

• Acquisition and takeover of FMP-Publishing by Jost Gebers on January 1.
• SWR Jazzprize 2007 to Alexander von Schlippenbach

2008

• Restart of production activities
• Start of development of the edition FMP in Retrospect

2009

• Production activities FMP in Retrospect

2010

• Completion of the edition FMP in Retrospect

2011

• Publication of FMP in Retrospect
• German Record Critics‘ Award for the edition FMP in Retrospect
  (Quarterly Critics‘ Choice 2/2011)
• Albert Mangelsdorff-Prize to Peter Brötzmann