Four young musicians from Taiwan meeting each other in 2014 in Amsterdam led to the Cheng Quartet. At present they are one of the most promising ensembles studying at the Nederlandse Strijkkwartet Academie.
In between partly Beethoven and Haydns ‘Sunrise’ the quartet also explores contemporary music. Young composer Brechtje van Dijk (1993) was assigned by the Nationaal Jeugd Orkest to write new work for string quartet. As a tribute to 100 jaar De Stijl the work matched perfectly with the Grachtenfestival theme ‘In Stijl’. After the world premiere at the NJO Muziekzomer 2017 the new quartet can be admired in the stylish Raadzaal of Hotel the Grand.
Brechtje about her new composition: “With this new composition for the Cheng Quartet I had to face two major challenges: adding something useful to the elaborate tradition of string quartets, and giving a musical interpretation of one of the most famous Dutch art movements, De Stijl. (…) So I had to work with the clear, bright language of De Stijl: wide colour fields, rustic black lines, primary colours and an almost mystical philosophy behind it. Are the black lines more prone to bending than they appear to be? Are the colour fields not drenched in humanity? I explored this tense area and had to turn it into sound within the ten minutes I was granted for the Chenq Quartet. The composition appears to be quite robust, with the quartet drawling lines and setting dots.”
TIP: Je kunt dit concert ook combineren met de architectuurwandeling "Rokin, Stadsboulevard met allure" onder leiding van Wendeline Dijkman. Kaarten te verkrijgen via deze website. Aanvang wandeling 12:15 uur.