Back from US

Back from US. As well as my parents. We picked them up today from the airport, they went to visit me and see us in Carnegie.
I had a great time. I love the US and especially NY. And I discovered Brooklyn. What a shame I couldn't be there more. In August we'll be back.
Tomorrow I have a concert with Wijnand: Brahms, Bach and Mendelssohn. A programme with only great composers! Wijnand finished his Bach commentary and it's wonderful!
Today I was going to try out new saxophones at Harry Bakker, but they haven't gotten a new batch so they only have a few today. So I will go later.

Louis Van Dijk talked about Grab it! in an interview in Elegance, a music magazine. He recommended my Cd and said that I was a jazz musician Dit bloggen!

Amstel Quartet back from their US debut tour
This 17th of April, the Amstel Quartet gave a phenomenal US debut Recital at Carnegie Hall in New York City , with works by Sweelinck, Glazunov, Torke, Wilson (US premier) and Nyman.
Within a week, the quartet gave 6 concerts throughout New York City, amongst others at Trinity Church on Wall Street (click here to see the concert as a webcast or download it as a podcast), and at the famous musicbar Barbes in Brooklyn (read review here).
They gave a multimedia performance with The Public Dance Theater and visuals by Bushwick at Monkeytown, including a world premier by dutch composer Renske Vrolijk, and performed at a benefit evening for Darfur organised by the Clinton Global Initiative , with Robert de Niro, Meryl Streep and Matt Damon on the guestlist. Aziz exlusively designed new costumes for this US tour.
The quartet will be back in the US in August. Highlights of that tour will include a concert at the well-known festival River to River in New York City.
Please also visit the website of Concert Artists Guild, the quartet's management based in New York City.

Last evening before Carnegie

Last evening before Carnegie. Tomorrow is the day. Reeds are still bad, I might play 3,5's tomorrow in stead of the 4's. They are just too bad in this climate. All iof us are having this problem.
Ian arrived today to hear his piece. He was happy. It's a beatiful piece!

Last days in NY

Last days in NY. Tomorrow is Carnegie Debut for Amstel Quartet. We did 5 concerts so far. The last days there was so much rain. We are having some reed problems due to the climate here. It is too dry (in spite of the rain!). I am experimenting now with soaking the reeds in water and then letting them dry. I hope this will work. All of our reeds are collapsing during our concerts. It still sounds ok I guess, but the feeling is no comfortable.

Friday I spend the morning and lunch with Paquito D'Rivera, That was very inspiring. He's a great guy. I asked what his one tip would be for musicians: Sound, beauty of sound and make sure you surround yourself with beauty...

While listening to Brahms' first pianoconcerto I am packing my suitcas...

While listening to Brahms' first pianoconcerto I am packing my suitcase. If I find some time I should go to the repairman to have a little thing fixed on my baritone. Otherwhise I need to find one in NY.
Yesterday we had one of the first spring picnics in the Erasmuspark. We prepared some pasta, salad and tapas. It did get a bit cold in the end, but summer is coming. Can't wait to get the first bbq out!
Tonight a last rehearsal before leavind for the VSB poetry prize. A small ensemble. Presentation is the 24th of April in De Rode Hoed in Amsterdam.

The last pieces of lead weigh the most we say in Dutch

The last pieces of lead weigh the most we say in Dutch. I am arranging everything now for our NY tour and it looks like it's going well. We still have to schedule some rehearsals there, but everything seems to be arranged! I also have a meeting with Paquito d'Rivera, I can't wait to meet him. He's a great musician and I admire him greatly. He is also a wonderful composer. Just maybe...?

Dit bloggen!