Trillende Lucht – Open Oor Prijs concert – Martin Arnold

With Bozzini Quartet & Reinier van Houdt + Host Anne-Maartje Lemereis

The magically tranquil compositions of Canadian Martin Arnold (born 1959) are rarely heard live in the Netherlands. That’s about to change. This year, Martin Arnold will receive the Open Ear Prize. As a congratulatory gesture, two of his extended chamber music works will be performed during November Music. The performance will be led by two of Arnold’s favorite performers, Quatuor Bozzini from Canada and Dutch pianist Reinier van Houdt.

The Amsterdam-based Trillende Lucht Foundation awards the Open Oor Prize every two years to composers who create their own unique soundscape. It’s an incentive prize for both experienced and aspiring composers who aren’t afraid to take risks. Previous awards have gone to artists including Gilius van Bergeijk, Anna Korsun, and Eliane Radigue. Unconventional composers who, despite all trends, cling to and further develop their unique sound language.

Martin Arnold is enamored of melodies that meander endlessly, occasionally interrupted by atmospheric silences. He is inspired by the serene beauty of Erik Satie and Morton Feldman, Scottish folk music, and medieval polyphony. He composes captivating, meditative music that feels simultaneously familiar and uncanny. Regarding his musical philosophy, Martin Arnold himself says: “I write experimental music, but with familiar materials and textures. I find wonder in the fact that I never know music, no matter how familiar it seems. I find wonder in the fact that I don’t know where I am or who I am, where I’m going, or what will happen to me when I listen.”

Quatuor Bozzini and Reinier van Houdt perform two works by Martin Arnold: his successful quartet ‘Contact; Vault’ and the fascinating piano quintet ‘Rill 69’, which is inspired by the melodic art of the medieval Ars Subtillior.

Free admission

This concert is part of the November Music festival programme. New Music Conference ticket holders can obtain a free-of-charge ticket to this concert by filling out the application form below. Please note, the amount of tickets is limited; first come, first served. And the deadline to apply is November 6th.