The renowned International Chamber Music Festival The Hague celebrates its 8th edition this year, featuring a select group of international musicians performing 10 days of inspired programming from 23 September to 3 October. Under the artistic directorship of founder and The Hague violinist Eva Stegeman, the theme of this year’s festival is ‘Expedition Audio’ which Stegeman describes as “an invitation, a challenge to listen with new ears”. Indeed this festival is very much about the involvement of the audience and new perspectives.

While the musicians and the music itself are important when it comes to live music events, Stegeman (pictured right) explains that a vital part of the experience is in the ear of the listener. “The musician needs the listener to create something unique” says Stegeman, a soloist, chamber musician, guest director of the European Union Chamber Orchestra and concert master at the Sinfonia Rotterdam. She adds that music is inherently interactive, that musicians in a chamber ensemble sense when an audience is involved and this is why “every live performance is completely different from the next.” Without the audience, music becomes a monologue and loses its purpose.

As audience members we experience the rare opportunity of not only listening, but seeing the skill of the musicians up close and personal, watching their silent communication at the commencement of each piece, observing the group chemistry. And chamber groups do not have a conductor, so that chemistry is particularly interesting and intense. For this reason Stegeman has invited Conductor Itay Talgam to take part in the festival. Talgam - whom she spotted online at the famous TED-talks (online platform for 'ideas worth spreading') - is one of the leading figures in the Israeli music scene and founder of the 'Maestro program’, a concept that explores relationships between orchestral musicians in order to gain insights into community dynamics and leadership. With Talgam’s guidance the audience will be involved in an enlightening live analysis (English spoken) of the orchestra and it’s interpersonal chemistry, and then experience Beethoven’s amazing Rasumovsky Quartet from a totally new perspective. This opening concert and talk kicks off the ‘Audio Expedition’ for audiences and Stegeman promises Talgam will be both thought provoking and “hilariously funny.”

Another programme item well worth a look for expats is the English spoken ‘Red Death’ with British actor David Graham. Graham is joined by the chamber ensemble performing André Caplet’s composition based on the spine-tingling Edgar Allan Poe story.

The International Chamber Music Festival The Hague had it’s humble beginnings as a gathering of Stegeman’s musical friends in Kasteel Duivenvoorde. Stegeman says it was “an experiment, a pilot ...we had no idea if people would show up or listen.” The 3 concerts over this first weekend completely sold out and from there the chamber music festival has developed to today incorporating a full organisation who “work like crazy for a year” to put together a unique musical programme featuring internationally renowned musicians across 7 locations over 10 days in The Hague.

This year’s highlights also include a cycle tour with live musical stop-offs in spectacular historic locations, the mellow reverberations of an enormous four metre long alphorn in the Paleiskerk and the magical Late Night Concert with an optional sleep over that will have audiences treated to Baroque and 20th century pieces then gradually lulled to a restful slumber. Musicians will take their place amongst the unwinding audience members creating an intimate atmosphere. In fact, over it’s eight year evolution and expansion, Eva has ensured that what has remained constant throughout the festival is the intimacy and personal ambience of each event.

Are classical music audiences getting smaller and older? For this festival it doesn’t seem the case and Stegeman says she has never believed in this threat. Last year’s festival saw a 15% increase in attendees aged under 30, a great deal for a classical music festival. Nevertheless Stegeman believes there is a lot to be said for enjoying music in different ways and says she is open minded about different means to appeal to new audiences through unique concert formats as is offered in this year’s programme. Furthermore Stegeman’s experience with music is wide, from early baroque to contemporary, the whole spectrum of music, and she says the festival will reflect that.

 Patrick Ayrton - part of the Baroque Shock programme

The ‘Baroque Shock’ concert will feature the elaborate sounds of the Baroque harpsichord, violin and cello while on the new compositions front; young composers will have their fresh and original compositions premiered by musicians from the Dutch String Quartet Academy in a competition final at the Nieuwe Kerk as part of the festival.

The 8th International Chamber Musical Festival The Hague has something for everyone willing to take up the challenge of an Audio Expedition and listen with new ears.

For more information, download the festival brochure (in English).

Tickets available online at www.kamermuziekfestivaldenhaag.nl and at the box-office of Theater Diligentia by calling 0900 4104104 (€ 0.15 per minute) - Tuesday through Saturday from 16.30-19.30.

Catherine Swindles
 

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