Category Archives: news

Rebecca Clarke, celebrated viola player, forgotten composer

Posted on March 8, 2023 by Thea Derks

This spring, the Italian pianist Gioia Giusti is dedicating the music show Ha avuto un padre anch’io to Rebecca Clarke, at the Teatro della Pergola in Florence (12 March) and the Teatro Giuglielmi in Massa (30 March). It is named … Continue reading →

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Rain Worthington hits nostalgic tone on CD Passages Through Time

Posted on July 11, 2022 by Thea Derks

The CD Passages Through Time paints a portrait of American composer Rain Worthington in eight compositions for strings in various settings. The CD-inlay promises ‘a journey through the currents of Worthington’s musical streams’, that will ‘reveal the primal commonality of … Continue reading →

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Russian composer Roman Stolyar writes B-ut-c-h-a: ‘I can’t remain silent on the war against Ukraine’

Posted on June 16, 2022 by Thea Derks

Shocked on learning how Russian soldiers had ruthlessly killed innocent civilians in the Ukrainian city of Bucha in March 2022, Roman Stolyar composed B-ut-c-h-a for piano and strings. Though he offered the score as a free download, the piece has … Continue reading →

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Elena Firsova composes Piano Concerto for Concertgebouw Orchestra: ‘A new work of art brings new life’

Posted on June 3, 2022 by Thea Derks

On 16 and 17 June, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra will present the world premiere of Elena Firsova’s Concert for Piano and Orchestra. She was inspired by a quotation from Boris Pasternak and a motif from Beethoven. I interviewed her for … Continue reading →

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Composer Indra Riše: ‘I get bored if music doesn’t come from the soul’

Posted on May 25, 2022 by Thea Derks

Whereas the Dutch government seems to regard culture as a superfluous luxury, other countries cherish its intrinsic value. The Latvian Music Information Centre regularly presents new CDs by composers from Latvia. In 2021 it released Trumpets of Angels with six … Continue reading →

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Jennifer Walshe composes Mars I: ‘My robots follow the trajectory of the Perseverance Rover’

Posted on May 17, 2022 by Thea Derks

In collaboration with AMMODO, Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ regularly presents brand new compositions intended to reach a general audience. In the afternoon, a piece is worked on extensively in a public rehearsal; in the evening, the world premiere is performed. … Continue reading →

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Sofia Gubaidulina makes the earth tremble in ‘Der Zorn Gottes’

Posted on May 11, 2022 by Thea Derks

For Sofia Gubaidulina (b. 1931), composing is anything but a frivolous affair: every note stems from a deep-rooted belief in man’s connection with the universe. This must be cherished, to protect mankind from degeneration. On Friday 13 May, the Radio … Continue reading →

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Composer Beat Furrer: ‘We have become detached from nature’

Posted on May 4, 2022 by Thea Derks

On Friday 6 May 2022 Beat Furrer makes his debut with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra with his brand new Sechs Gesänge. He used texts from Sara Gallardo’s novel Eisejuaz about the fate of the indigenous inhabitants of the Amazon: ‘Eisejuaz … Continue reading →

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Wim Henderickx explores the pitfalls of intercultural relationships in The Convert: ‘My opera is highly topical’

Posted on April 29, 2022 by Thea Derks

On 10 May, the Opera Ballet Flanders presents the world premiere of The Convert by Wim Henderickx. The libretto was written by Krystian Lada and is based on the book of the same name by Stefan Hertmans. At the time … Continue reading →

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Alma Quartet joins forces with Dominique Vleeshouwers for an exciting musical adventure

Posted on April 21, 2022 by Thea Derks

The Amsterdam-based Alma Quartet fosters varied audiences and adventurous collaborations. They play in packed night clubs with top DJs, premiere daring new works by experimental composers, or simply perform the standard repertoire at top notch level. On 28 April they … Continue reading →

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