Artist in residence Andreas Staier brings along a top-notch violinist to Antwerp. Petra Müllejans serves as leader of the Freiburger Barockorchester and counts among the very best specialists of historically informed performances! Staier and Müllejans offer baroque from their own area: music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Johann Kuhnau, Georg Philipp Telemann and Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber. 

Kuhnau — Bach’s immediate predecessor as Thomas cantor — was among the first to compose sonatas for keyboard instruments. His Biblische Historien can be regarded is an early example of programme music. Von Biber earned his fame by and large with his violin sonatas, especially those that use scordatura, an abnormal tuning of the violin strings in order to obtain special chordal effects. The Mystery (or Rosary) sonatas perfectly illustrate this. 

01 February, 2015 15:00 -- amuz

AMUZ, HERMESensemble and De Veerman undertake a joint venture concerning the question: how does the future sound? Composers Bram Van Camp and Hanne Deneire serve again as coaches for this initiative, inviting youngsters between twelve and twenty to submit their compositions for ensemble. The most interesting works from each age category will be performed during this concert by the professional musicians of the HERMESensemble. Such an exercise can result in splendid achievements, witness the previous editions of The times they are a-changin’. Be a witness yourself this year!

I.c.w. HERMESensemble, De Veerman

08 February, 2015 14:00 -- AMUZ

AMUZ, HERMESensemble and De Veerman undertake a joint venture concerning the question: how does the future sound? Composers Bram Van Camp and Hanne Deneire serve again as coaches for this initiative, inviting youngsters between twelve and twenty to submit their compositions for ensemble. The most interesting works from each age category will be performed during this concert by the professional musicians of the HERMESensemble. Such an exercise can result in splendid achievements, witness the previous editions of The times they are a-changin’. Be a witness yourself this year! 

08 February, 2015 15:00 -- amuz

The female singers of Trio Mediaeval reclaim their Scandinavian roots with an enthralling range of Norwegian folk songs. The poignant sounds of these folk songs make you drift into another world. In 2009 the recording of a number of these songs was nominated for a Grammy Award. Small wonder that Trio Mediaeval manages to enthuse an incredibly diverse public with this repertoire.
With their confident voices Anna Maria Friman, Linn Andrea Fuglseth and Berit Opheim will turn this concert into an extraordinary experience. The singers also play different traditional Norwegian instruments to boot, including willow flute, ram’s horn and Hardanger viol, a beautifully decorated viol with melody and resonance strings which enable the instrument to reverberate, as it were. The roots of this Norwegian folk repertoire are age-old, but its
universal attraction will not fail to work even in these modern times!

Performers
Anna Maria Friman, Linn Andrea Fuglseth & Berit Opheim, chant & traditional instruments

12 February, 2015 20:00 -- AMUZ

The female singers of Trio Mediaeval reclaim their Scandinavian roots with an enthralling range of Norwegian folk songs. The poignant sounds of these folk songs make you drift into another world. In 2009 the recording of a number of these songs was nominated for a Grammy Award. Small wonder that Trio Mediaeval manages to enthuse an incredibly diverse public with this repertoire. 

With their confident voices Anna Maria Friman, Linn Andrea Fuglseth and Berit Opheim will turn this concert into an extraordinary experience. The singers also play different traditional Norwegian instruments to boot, including willow flute, ram’s horn and Hardanger viol, a beautifully decorated viol with melody and resonance strings which enable the instrument to reverberate, as it were. The roots of this Norwegian folk repertoire are age-old, but its universal attraction will not fail to work even in these modern times!

12 February, 2015 21:00 -- amuz

Playful, innovative and with an endearing spontaneity: the concerts of the Barokksolistene are a distinctive experience in its own right. With Norway’s most famous baroque violinist, Bjarte Eike, serving as their leader, the ensemble presents most original programmes, such as the Ale House Sessions, with contagious tunes from the British pubs of olden times.
Commissioned by AMUZ, the group put together a similar concert with music from the 18th-century Norwegian pubs.

Melodies from England, Holland, France and Germany easily found their way to he north via Hanse city Bergen, receiving a niche of their own among the medieval ballads and hallings (dances) which were to be considered later as the national heritage of Norway. This colourful and lively programme explores the ties between folk and art music, without however assigning much importance to those concepts. The informed listener will recognize melodies by Lully, Telemann and Händel, but where the music comes from is not an issue. Striking melodies and ambiance are the overriding purpose, and if anyone can get those across, it is the captivating Barokksolistene! Skål!

Performers
Nils Økland, Hardanger fiddle & viola d’amore | Per Buhre, viola & song | Hans Knut Sveen harpsichord & organ | Fredrik Bock, guitar & lute | Håkon Stene, percussion | Johannes Lundberg, violone | Bjarte Eike, violin, Hardanger fiddle & artistic direction

13 February, 2015 20:00 -- AMUZ