For blind and visually impaired amateur vocalists, participation in a regular choir or singing project is often difficult, because they can’t see the sheet music and the conductor. To help these vocalists find and use their voices, Festival Classique presents the special performance TRUST together with the String Quartet Biennale Amsterdam, Wonderfeel, Oranjewoud Festival and Royal Visio.
In the run-up to the String Quartet Biennale Amsterdam (SQBA) 2024, young string quartets worked together with a group of blind and visually impaired amateur vocalists as part of the Residency, the SQBA’s young talent programme. Together they looked for the common and the different: sensing and inspiring each other, exploring each other’s musical worlds and indicating where your boundaries lie. TRUST is the title of a piece for string quartet and choir by composer Matijs de Roo. He wrote the music during the exploration and working process of the musicians and amateur vocalists. Using inventive cues, he sensitively brings the musicians and the blind and visually impaired vocalists together in his music.
For Festival Classique, the choir will be expanded in collaboration with the Royal Visio The Hague with eight vocalists from The Hague, who will master the repertoire in four rehearsal days under the guidance of music therapist Jorien Habing and work towards a dazzling joint concert in Beelden aan Zee. We also invite choir conductors from The Hague to experience what the target group needs to sing in a regular choir, thus lowering barriers to participation.
During TRUST, three solo vocalists will also perform with the Polish-Belgian Karski Quartet. Based on their individual cultural backgrounds, these vocalists took different approaches to working with the strings. This resulted in three impressive pieces: each piece is a personal musical gem. In addition to TRUST, the quartet also plays short pieces from their own repertoire.
TRUST takes place in Museum Beelden aan Zee. After the performance, visually impaired visitors can take a tour of sculptures they can touch. Together, we view and feel shape, texture and degree of abstraction.
Performers
Karski Quartet:
- Kaja Nowak, violin I
- Natalia Kotarba, violin II
- Diede Verpoest, viola
- Julia Kotarba, cello
12 amateur vocalists (in collaboration with Royal Visio and music therapist Jorien Habing)
Choir: Lieke Brouwer, Fransje Eiselin, Ron van der Genugten, Jorien Habing, Erik Looijenga, Annemieke van Sabben, Ingrid Tolsma, Lindsey Zwiers
Soloists: Lizabet Benink, Joy Barry, Sheraz Moeniralam
Composer: Matijs de Roo
Karski Quartet was founded in Brussels (Belgium) in 2018. The four members met during their studies at the Royal Conservatory in Brussels, where three of them studied with Philippe Graffin, later mentor and artistic collaborator of the quartet. The group has participated in various study programmes, master classes and residencies to perfect their craft, while maintaining a busy international concert schedule. The Karski Quartet takes its name from Jan Karski, the legendary figure in the resistance during the Second World War. The members of the Karski Quartet strongly believe that every era needs heroes like him. Amid the grave difficulties now facing the entire human population, they see Karski’s deep compassion and uncompromising attitude as an example to be imitated in art and in life.
Matijs de Roo (1977) studied composition with David Rowland and classical piano with Benno Pierwijer and Cristo Illiev at the Enschede Conservatory. In 2002, he graduated as a pianist and continued his composition lessons at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague with Diderik Wagenaar and Martijn Padding. After graduating in The Hague, he completed his master’s degree with Klaas de Vries at the Rotterdam Conservatory. At his final exams in 2005, he graduated Cum Laude and received a “special award for composition”. During his studies, he took part in various international composition courses and master classes. During the Voix Nouvelles festival, he was selected to study in Canada with French composer Pascal Dusapin. His music has been performed in the Netherlands, Germany, France, England, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Russia, Canada, the US and Australia by ensembles and orchestras such as the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, Holland Symfonia, Le Quator Diotima, the Nieuw Ensemble, the ASKO ensemble, The new music players, the Doelen ensemble, The Ensemble Modern de Montreal, duo Post and Mulder, duo Bosgraaf and Elias and the Call Arts ensemble. In recent years, he has collaborated with recorder player Erik Bosgraaf for whom he composed a large number of works.
Museum Beelden aan Zee
TRUST takes place at museum Beelden aan Zee. After the concert, you have exclusive access to the museum, which is open until 7 p.m. only for visitors to the concert. More information about the museum can be found here.
Want to join this performance?
For TRUST we are looking for visually impaired singers from The Hague who, under the guidance of music therapist Jorien Habing, will learn the repertoire in four rehearsal days and work towards the concert in Beelden aan Zee. In addition, we invite choral conductors from The Hague to experience what the target group needs in order to sing in a regular choir, so that thresholds for participation are lowered. Would you like to participate or do you know someone for whom this would be interesting? Send us an email for more information.
