Monthly Archives: November 2021

The Hague String Trio releases CD Celebrating Women!

Posted on November 30, 2021 by Thea Derks

On their CD Celebrating Women! The Hague String Trio present world premiere recordings by four female composers.  – At once also the only works in their repertoire by members of their own sex. Perhaps they want to hitch a ride … Continue reading →

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Maxim Shalygin composes Severade for 9 cellos & sound sculpture: ‘At first I had no idea what to do with all those new instruments’

Posted on November 25, 2021 by Thea Derks

The Ukrainian-Dutch composer Maxim Shalygin has established himself firmly in our Dutch musical life with his adventurous pieces. Last October, his choral work While Combing Your Hair, dedicated to the Belarusian dissident Maria Kaleshnikava, was a great success. In September, … Continue reading →

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Le grand macabre György Ligeti: Surprisingly topical opera about the end of time

Posted on November 20, 2021 by Thea Derks

In Le Grand Macabre, the only opera György Ligeti ever composed, the protagonist Nekrotzar announces the end of time, but at the moment supreme he is the only one who perishes. The absurdist work was staged in this country in … Continue reading →

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Musical journey down the Nile in ‘Afrique’ by Richard Rijnvos

Posted on November 11, 2021 by Thea Derks

Born in Tilburg, the Netherlands, in 1964, Richard Rijnvos avoids the beaten tracks; his work cannot be pigeonholed. Indeed, he does not regard ‘style’ as a starting point, but as the unsuspected outcome of the creative process. On Saturday 13 … Continue reading →

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Anájikon Konstantia Gourzi – music in which the sun always shines

Posted on November 9, 2021 by Thea Derks

In 1984, the German label ECM initiated its NEW SERIES to promote the ‘neo-spiritual’ music of such greats as Arvo Pärt & Giya Kancheli. Their style was considered kitschy at the time, but later they grew into highly lauded composers. … Continue reading →

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Composer Hawar Tawfiq: ‘Alexander Hrisanide opened my eyes to the beauty of life’

Posted on November 3, 2021 by Thea Derks

While for many the corona-lockdown implied a considerable loss of work, violinist/composer Hawar Tawfiq (1982) was busier than ever. Since April 2020, he has been working continuously on four pieces, of which the previously postponed Babylon aan de IJssel will … Continue reading →

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Tan Dun composes Trombone Concerto ‘Three Muses in Video Game’ for Concertgebouw Orchestra: ‘It is an ode to antique Chinese instruments’

Posted on November 1, 2021 by Thea Derks

At the request of Jörgen van Rijen, solo trombonist of the Concertgebouw Orchestra, Tan Dun composed a concerto that will have its world premiere on 5 November 2021. The intriguing title is Three Muses in Video Game. How did he … Continue reading →

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