CONFLUENCE
Music as a space of encounter.
© Jaap van den Beukel
Music as a space of encounter.
© Jaap van den Beukel
Confluence is the first production by A Brilliant Noise. The music of Iranian-Dutch musician Hamid Reza Behzadian, together with the compositions and arrangements of Kay Sleking and the distinctive sound of the Alma Quartet, forms the foundation for a unique musical dialogue.
Persian and Indian influences, blues, improvisation and classical composition techniques become intertwined. The Alma Quartet also performs movements from Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s First String Quartet, while Sleking subtly weaves motifs and influences from Korngold’s music into his own compositions and arrangements.
The result is not a succession of musical styles, but a flowing together in which each musical voice retains its own identity.
Fotografie: Emelie Schäfer
Composers such as Villa-Lobos, who connected Brazilian traditions with European classical music, Bartók, who brought folk music and the avant-garde together, and Gershwin, who blended jazz with symphonic forms, demonstrate how new musical languages can emerge from different traditions.
Confluence builds on this idea. Rather than placing styles side by side, it takes their individual character as a starting point. Melodies, rhythms and timbres acquire new meanings, forming a musical whole in which each individual voice retains its own identity.
“In his country of birth, Hamid could not let this music be heard freely. Now he plays what longs to be heard.”
Hamid Reza Behzadian connects Persian and Middle Eastern melodic traditions with the expressiveness of the American blues. Through the Indian slide guitar, he immersed himself deeply in North Indian classical music, where improvisation and microtonal refinement play a central role.
In Confluence, his sonic world meets Alma Quartet.
Composer and artistic director Kay Sleking shapes a distinctive musical world in Confluence.
He places familiar melodies in unexpected musical landscapes, where sounds take on new meanings and different traditions become intertwined.
Through his compositions and arrangements, he creates new musical connections in which each musician retains their individual voice. Improvisation, composition and dramaturgy come together to form a cohesive whole.
Alma Quartet moves with ease within the classical string quartet repertoire, while actively seeking encounters with contemporary and interdisciplinary forms.
Their interest in new musical languages and collaborations beyond the traditional canon makes them a natural partner in Confluence. Here, they meet the sonic world of Hamid Reza Behzadian as equal musical counterparts, in a dialogue between the European string quartet tradition and microtonal, improvisational structures.
Spoken word artist and poet Asmae Amaddaou adds a new layer to Confluence through her words. Her writing moves between personal history and universal themes such as identity, loss, memory and the search for connection.
Her poetry collection Brand lieverd brand is a source of inspiration for this encounter. Her poetic voice deepens the music and creates space for stories that emerge between cultures, memories and sounds.
Confluence is not merely a musical programme, but an experience that invites you to listen, reflect and be moved.
The personal histories behind this music, often rooted in diaspora, resonate deeply in a time when cultural identity and artistic representation are central to public discourse.
Confluence does not offer a statement, but an encounter. Not an illustration of diversity, but an audible dialogue.
Artistic Director & Musical Development
Kay Sleking
Staging & Dramaturgy
Sieta Keizer
Soloist
Hamid Reza Behzadian — Indian slide guitar
Alma Quartet
(musicians from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra)
Marc Daniel van Biemen — violin
Benjamin Peled — violin
Jeroen Woudstra — viola
Joris van den Berg — cello
Spoken word & text
Asmae Amaddaou
Our partners and supporters make space for new voices in classical music.
Confluence is made possible with the support of various funds and partners. Their contributions support the development and performance of our first production.
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