Gwyneth Wentink, Wouter Snoei and Arnout Hulskamp came together in 2012 for their first project, Canto Ostinato Audio Visual. The dialogue between sound, frequency, and image is the core inspiration for the ensemble. Coming from different backgrounds and disciplines, the ensemble manages to attract a broad audience and enjoys national and international success. With Canto Ostinato Audio Visual the ensemble performed in sold out venues such as Paradiso, the Stedelijk Museum, Club Trouw and at festivals such as TodaysArt and 5 Days Off. International, among other things, they were invited in Tokyo, Sydney, New York, New Delhi, Moscow and Bogota?. In 2014 they performed for King Willem Alexander and Queen Maxima during the Royal Concert. In May 2015 they were again invited to join the royal couple and to perform during their state visit in Canada.
Bio
Gwyneth Wentink is an internationally acclaimed harp player and winner of, among other awards, the Dutch Music Award – the highest distinction awarded to musicians in The Netherlands – the Israel Harp Competition and the YCA auditions in New York. Surprising choices and groundbreaking projects define Wentink’s work as a first class innovator; and have
brought her to classical stages such as Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall and The Concertgebouw Amsterdam.
As a harpist, Wentink is something of a pioneer, creating groundbreaking productions
like Canto Ostinato Audio Visual and Human Body where the harp is used as a classical instrument in an innovative way. In constant demand as a harpist, Wentink has often chosen to experiment with her instrument; playing styles that have led to profound changes in her discipline.Wentink introduced the harp into classical Indian music, and plays regularly in India with greats like Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia.
Wentink is praised for her versatility: besides initiating innovative productions and working with young composers, she is also a specialist in ancient music; she is solo harpist of John Eliot Gardiner’s Orchestre Revolutionaire et Romantique and the English Baroque Soloist. Many composers have dedicated works to her, as Marius Flothuis, Theo Loevendie and Terry Riley. Wentink played Riley’s composition “Children of Gaza ‘ in April 2014; premiered at the World Minimal Music Festival in Amsterdam.
Wouter Snoei studied at the Institute of Sonology at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. As a composer and sound artist, Snoei specializes in working with (live) electronics, with a focus on ideas of “spaciousness”, and the bridge between acoustic instruments and electronic sound. Snoei combines his musical interests and developing software in his compositions, performances, theatre productions and installations (for example; with VocaalLAB / Silbersee, Gaudeamus, Calefax Reed Quintet, ASKO / Schoenberg). Snoei enjoys an active role in the contemporary music circuit. His background in producing dance music (Grote Prijs van Nederland) and experiences as harpist (most recently in the production ‘L’Harpe c’est moi’), have given him a prominent position in the current musical landscape.
Internationally, Snoei is involved in development of Wave Field Synthesis technology, including through the installation of Foundation The Game of Life, a revolutionary system that (using 192 speakers, 12 subwoofers and one laptop) moves sounds through space in a radically new way.
Arnout Hulskamp (1978) studied at the HKU and made his name with his self-developed software Open Wound, which enabled him to compose expressionist glitch-imagery. His idiosyncratic work earned him a VJ residence in TrouwAmsterdam, as well as many performances worldwide with big names in the progressive electronic music scene; such as James Holden, Henrik Schwarz and Trentemøller.
Since 2013 Hulskamp has worked with Christopher Gabriel; going by the name, ‘Children of the Light’. The duo designs scenography that uses light, mist, scenery, reflections and animations to create abstract landscapes. One of the highlights of this cooperation is the groundbreaking ‘Mirror Moon’ installation, which Children of the Light developed for Nicolas Jaar’s band, Darkside. Performances at Le Trianon (Paris), the Amsterdam Dance Event in the Concertgebouw, and during Art Basel Miami, led to a wildly positive reaction. Those in the know saw the show as gamechanging.
Hulskamp also operates outside the performance circuit. Hulskamp makes installations and works for clients such as Rabobank, the Haga Hospital, the Zuiderzee Museum and TEDxAmsterdam through ‘aaiqu’ (All art is quite useless) Hulskamp’s own platform for interactive lighting and video work. He has twice received the Gouden Reiger for his work.