A NOCTURNAL SUN

Performed by Asko|Schoenberg Ensemble conducted by Bas Wiegers.

This piece narrates the story of a man who could no longer cope with his daily life. Overwhelmed by sadness and emotionally unstable, he found himself immobile, contemplating his life as if it were someone else’s.

The main melodies in this piece represent this man’s voice. We can hear him thinking out loud, wondering about the meaning of his life, about his achievements and failures and about how truthful the love of the people around him really is. Towards the end of the first movement this man decides to let himself die. The piece’s second movement aims to represent this man’s journey towards the afterlife.

A Nocturnal Sun was written for Asko|Schoenberg Ensemble and it premiered on 20th April 2012 at the WMDC in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

YOU CAN TALK TO ME

Performed by Birgit Böhm

It is very hard to translate into words what this piece is about, but whenever I try, the words ‘emotionally oppress’ always come to my mind. The origin of this feeling is diffuse, and the figure of the oppressor seems to be absent.

The flute melody on this piece aims to express those words or thoughts we cannot share with anyone and our struggle to set them free.

You can talk to me was premiered by Susanne Peters in October 2012 during the Luciano Berio Festival in Den Haag, The Netherlands. This recording is from the performance of Birgit Böhm at the V Composer’s Marathon in Vienna, Austria, 29th September 2013.

AN INSTALLMENT OF TIME (Instructions on how to wind a watch)

Performed by DKBB, Zapp 4 and Claron McFadden

An instalment of time was inspired by Julio Cortazar´s short story Instructions on how to wind a watch, and aims to capture the story’s surreal and magical universe.

The piece features a collective guided improvisation by the full ensemble, inspired by Cortazar’s love for jazz and his commitment to freedom. It is because of this that each version of the piece is slightly different.

An instalment of time was written for David Kweksilber Big Band, who performed the piece on several occasions, and it was later recorded by Change Ensemble, who included the piece on their debut album Different Roots (buy album HERE).

An instalment of time was commissioned by Fonds Podiumkunsten.

You can also watch a video of this performance HERE.

AN INSTALLMENT OF TIME

Performed by David Kweksilber Big Band

This version of the piece was recorded at the premiere, which took place on 3rd October at the Muziekgebouw aan’ IJ in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

You can watch the video HERE.

DIFFERENCES

Performed by: Bulgarian National Radio Symphony conducted by Hans Leenders

One day there was something that they couldn’t agree on, a little unimportant thing, a difference, but from then on there was no common ground between them. Only differences.                                                                                                         

From François Ozone’s film Water drops on burning rocks

Differences was inspired by François Ozone’s film Water drops on burning rocks. It is a composition about the irony of love, about how magical and painful love can sometimes be. It can rescue you from hell and it can draw you back into it. It is an inexplicable rollercoaster of feelings where two people try to deal with their differences. They talk to each other, scream to each other or laugh with each other. It is a piece about those tiny differences that make us come together again and again…

Differences was written for Kurt Rosenwinkel and RSJO and commissioned by the Rotterdam International Jazz Festival. You can watch some excerpts from the premiere HERE.

DEEP, DARK AND BLUE

Performed by David Kweksilber Big Band

Gradually, the beautiful universe was abandoning him; A stubborn haze wiped the lines of his hand, the stars disappeared from the sky, the earth was unsteady beneath his feet. Everything went away and confused.

Jorge Luis Borges, El hacedor.

Deep, Dark and Blue was written for David Kweksilber Big Band, who performed the piece on several occasions, and it was later recorded by the Change Ensemble, who included the piece on their debut album Different Roots (buy album HERE).

These two live recordings belong to the premiere, which took place on 1st December 2016 at De Doelen, Rotterdam, and to a performance made at the Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR Cologne).

Deep, Dark and Blue was commissioned by Fonds Podiumkunsten.

AT NIGHT

Performed by: DKBB and Claron McFadden

At Night was inspired by Julio Cortazar’s short story Discourse of the bear, from the book Cronopios and Famas.

The piece was written for David Kweksilber Big Band, who performed the piece on several occasions, and it was later recorded by Change Ensemble, who included the piece on their debut album Different Roots (buy album HERE).

This live recording belongs to the premiere, which took place on 1st December 2016 at De Doelen. At Night was commissioned by Fonds Podiumkunsten.

AN ENDLESS NIGHT

Performed by DoelenEnsemble

I fear that the worst is yet to come. I feel restless, sad and I cannot sleep, and there are times when life feels like an endless night.

This piece aims to portrait a very troubled period of my life in which it was impossible for me to find an emotional balance. The piece was written in four weeks, and I tried to capture the feelings of chaos and instability I felt during that period.

The piece was commissioned by the Doelenensemble, and it premiered on 20th November 2013 at concertgebouw De Doelen, in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.