Good Friday: Dudek x Im // Evi Filippou & Robert Lucaciu

At our traditional double concert on Good Friday, we present two duos that dedicate themselves in very different ways to the special occasion of inner reflection.

Hardly more than a stone's throw separates the musically flourishing scenes of Cologne and Amsterdam: two cities in which the distinctly fresh voices of Fabian Dudek and Chaerin Im have long been an essential part. The saxophonist and the pianist are united not only by their insatiable exploration of the acoustic possibilities of their instruments, but also by the curious expansion of their sonic spectrum through the use of electronics. Dudek and Im first met artistically as part of the Amsterdam Edition of the Composers Collective Cologne. As a duo, the two musicians develop a contemporary, calm sound that is characterized by subtle interaction and knows how to resonate.

The dynamic collaboration between the Greek vibraphonist Evi Filippou and the German-Romanian double bassist Robert Lucaciu defies the constraints of rigid genre categorization. Their music is based on a variety of sources: from classical music of the 20th and 21st centuries to the spirited rhythms of jazz and evocative stories interwoven in the traditions of folklore. In an exquisite tapestry of sound, the vibrancy of the Balkans merges with the cosmopolitan influence of contemporary European musical landscapes - a listening experience that is both timeless and contemporary, and a testament to how musical traditions and innovations intermingle at the rhythmic core of the human experience.

Both concerts will be recital compositions on the themes of mourning, lamentation and inner reflection. The chamber music reflections of both duos on these themes also include an examination of the different customs of the respective countries and cultures from which the musicians come.