'The cricket sings: "With music you can make anything" - in conversation with Mathilde Wantenaar.'

By Thea Derks

Young composer Mathilde Wantenaar's star is rising fast. In 2013, she collaborated on the Boom|Amsterdam is an operaproject , two years later she wrote the mini-opera personar for the first edition of the Opera Forward Festival. On 18 March, her family opera A Song for the Moon will have its world premiere, concluding the fifth instalment of this festival.

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'I had known Toon Tellegen's work for some time, my parents used to read it to me when I was little and I still enjoy his stories; occasionally I read them to my boyfriend before we go to sleep. During a period when I was going through a rough patch at the conservatoire, I read the collection Misschien wist zij alles in one go. The stories are simultaneously comforting, uplifting, wonderful and above all very beautiful. They lifted me above my grief and made me calm.'

'I did not yet know the book A Song for the Moon and when I read through it, I was immediately touched. It appealed to me that Tellegen addresses themes of loneliness, identity, disappointment and friendship. I especially like that music plays a central role in it, ideal for an opera. De Mol, the main character, goes through a real development. In the beginning he is a bit shy and insecure, but eventually, thanks to the music, he crawls out of his shell, makes friends and goes out into the wide world.'

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'The beauty is that the story is excellent for children to follow, but at the same time has so much philosophical depth that it is also interesting for adults. The Cricket sings: ‘With music you can make anything’. For me, that is the essence of this opera.'

Read Thea Derks' full article in Theaterkrant here.

Volkskrant: ‘How often does a new piece manage to become a hit on classical station Radio 4?’

Violinist Merel Vercammen and pianist Dina Ivanova's debut album, which includes Mathilde Wantenaar's Sprookjes is ranked number 27 in the Volkskrant's top 40 best albums of 2019.

How often does a new piece manage to become a hit on classical station Radio 4? Merel Vercammen (violin) and Dina Ivanova (piano) succeeded with Mathilde Wantenaar's Sprookjes  on their album Symbiosis. ‘As soon as Vercammen starts playing, you step into another world,’ we wrote. How beautiful that is, when musicians manage to bring out the best in their chosen compositions.

See the article with the full top 40 by Robert van Gijssel and music editors in the Volkskrant here.

Order the CD Symbiosis here.

VSCD Ovatie 2019: Classical Music Prize nominations announced

Today, the Association of Theatre and Concert Hall Directors announced the nominations for the VSCD Classical Music Prize. Nominated for the Ovation 2019 - the most impressive stage performance of the past season - are Amsterdam Sinfonietta with Italian pianist Beatrice Rana, the Nederlands Blazers Ensemble with the programme Bach & Sufi and Ralph van Raat with an Andriessen programme.

The jury on Amsterdam Sinfonietta and pianist Beatrice Rana:

‘In April 2019, Amsterdam Sinfonietta performed eight times with Italian pianist Beatrice Rana. The ingenious, effective programme ranged from music for string orchestra by Mathilde Wantenaar through keyboard concertos by Bach to repertoire for solo piano by Bartók. The interplay between orchestra and soloist was wonderful to witness; a great side effect of long tours (and excellent musicians, of course).

With Bach, this led to an expressive, warm-blooded, solid keyboard concerto that never became old-fashioned romantic, however. Rana's bright playing, with - it doesn't seem possible - pearly-steady legato lines, was brilliant. We hope Amsterdam Sinfonietta and Rana will plan a follow-up project in the near future.’

The jury on the Nederlands Blazers Ensemble with the programme Bach & Sufi:

‘Bach & Sufi is an extraordinary production by the Nederlands Blazers Ensemble, combining Eastern and Western (classical) music. The movements blend effortlessly and melt together without losing their identity, extremely surprising. The strength of the Nederlands Blazers Ensemble is its ability to present a coherent programme with Bach & Sufi, not only musically but also in terms of design and setting. Commissioned by the ensemble, the very talented composer Mathilde Wantenaar provided the arrangements and compositions. As always, music is performed at a high level. Special attention to the two instrumentalists Ali Ghamsari (tar and compositions) and David Mackor (theorbo), and to the singers Elisabeth Hetherington and Haleh Seyfizadeh.’