Concertzender Newsletter

Editorial

The Concertzender in October

A lot of new programmes this month, including one to prove the contrary: we’re already proud of Avenida Brasil, a brand-new programme put together by Lilian Vieira.

Where the Northern Lights shine, the most beautiful combinations of tradition and sampling techniques can be heard. Tune in to Nordic Sounds, put on your ugly sweater and get cozy with the Concertzender.

And for the end of the month we’ve got a special celebration set for episode 1000 from Bach Ad Infinitum. We’re still figuring out the who/where/whats, so we’ll let you know once we’ve got it all set in a special message later this month. This months' newsletter appears rather late, but that's actualy good news: it means the next newsletter will reach you sooner. Enjoy your sunny Autumn!

First Friday of every month

Theme: World Music

Genre: Folk

Nordic nuts at Folk It

Nordic Sounds is a new addition to the Folk It programmes on the Concertzender that will be played starting October 1st. Composer Marius Roeting, also responsible for Disc-cover, sets his musical aims on folk music from countries in the Northern hemisphere: from North-Atlantic Islands – and groups – like the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Orkneys, Scandinavia and the Baltic States to the northern regions of Russia. Pretty much everywhere the Northern Lights can be seen.

Nordic Sounds Regardless of the climatic circumstances like cold, rough nature with vast forests and everstretching barren landscapes, treeless islands and long, dark Winter months laden with loads of precipitation interchanged with long, bright Summer months – the music will always be heartwarming. No surprise the subtext of this programme reads: “Wood fire, wollen hats and mittens. A programme with heartwarming music from the high North and East of Europe.”

Besides traditional music, contemporary roots music from the North has many variations. These variations come to light via the integration of different styles and genres with samples and electronics. Be surprised by this ‘roots music’ that rarely finds the musical limelight.

Listen in:
Nordic Sounds, Every first Friday of the month between 8 and 9 pm.

Second Friday of every month

Theme: World Music

Avenida Brasil: a new programme with Brazilian music!

After the programme series Brazil in a Nutshell (from 2017/2018, can still be listened to), it’s high time for global music from Brazil, the country with the richest and most special musical traditions. We’ll be doing exactly that with a new programme called Avenida Brasil, composed and presented by no less than the versatile Brazilian-Dutch singer Lilian Vieira.

She has been making a name for herself for years through her great improvisation skills and charismatic character on stage with the Brazilectro group Zuco 103 and many other music projects. Her musical roots stem from Brazilian Samba Soul from the 70s, the golden years in which prominents such as Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and others wrote their master pieces.

It’s a special and a lovely gesture from Lilian to take Avenida Brasil listeners and show them her passion for music from her homeland and her favourite music and artists from Brazil with undoubtedly lots of groovy Samba Soul.

Listen in:
From the 8th of October every second Friday of the month from 9 pm until 10 pm.

Weekdays starting Monday 4 October

Theme: Contemporary Music

Composer of the month: Carter

October’s composer of the month is a late bloomer: the personal style of American Elliott Carter(1908-2012) only flourished around the 1950s. Before this time he wrote in the flavour of the month American style: many folk elements, upsweeping rhythms, a big swig of popular music and an enormous love for the grand gesture.

In the late 40s he united the language of Schönberg and Stravinsky. He combined this with the sophisticated counterpoint of his teacher Nadia Boulanger and a love of capricious forms, rhythmic experiments, expressionist fervour and American optimism.

During his entire career he was lucky enough to be surrounded by terrific musicians who wanted to dedicate themselves to his work. Their plays convinced many listeners and of course we’ll be featuring a broad list of these musicians in this month’s programme we have dedicated to Carter. You’ll be listening to Carter’s work The Minotaur, his piano sonata and works for cello and piano, including a sonata for flute, hobo, cello and harpsichord. Also we’ll be playing Partita for Orchestra, from a performance by the Chicaco Symphony Orchestra conducted by Daniel Barenboim.

Listen in:
From the 4th of October every weekday between 4 pm and 5 pm.

Fridays 29 October and 5 November 2021

Theme: Classical Music

Genre: Baroque

Bach

Late October we have something special for you in store. We’ll be celebrating the thousandth(!) episode from the series Bach Ad Infinitum.

How we’ll be doing this is still a secret, but we’ll spill it later in the month via a special message. For now make sure to pin the dates: Friday 29th of October and Friday 5th of November.

To be continued!

On demand

Theme: Contemporary Music

Missed Ox?

This newsletter was delayed for this month, but not as much to miss the introduction of the prize-winning broadcast of An Ox on the Roof by Thea Derks. Sunday 3rd of October had three prize winners in its spotlight.

Last September, there were two composition competitions in the Tivoli Vredenburg in Utrecht. Fresh alumni of the Dutch conservatoires could compete for the Tera de Marez Oyens Prize. Soheil Shayesteh won with his composition Žhâ for cello, electronics and visuals. And composers under 35 competed for the Gaudeamus Award 2021, which was awarded to Annika Socolofsky.

The prize named after Tera de Marez Oyens was established two years after her death in 1998 by her widower and children. De Marez Oyens not only composed beautiful music, but was also a great promoter of the avant-garde and worked a lot with children. As a composer, she often worked with electronics. The poignant Charon's Gift for piano and tape from 1982, can be heard in our broadcast as an example.

The first edition of the prize was awarded in 2001, to Calliope Tsoupaki. It was a commission for the Kaida Trio, which consists of flute, bass clarinet and piano. She simply called her composition Trio. Tsoupaki is the current composer of the Netherlands and one of the jury members of the Gaudeamus Award 2021.