Back | Events
Musical ensemble Calefax on An American Rhapsody
@ Courtesy of Merlijn Doomernik
Sat, Mar 18 - Sun, Mar 26 2023
From March 18th until March 26th, the award winning reed players of Dutch musical ensemble Calefax are going on a musical road trip across the United States on An American Rhapsody. Their diverse programme captures several iconic composers from very different periods and backgrounds, which reflects America’s kaleidoscopic diversity and its rich yet complex culture and history. The album is a declaration of love to a country that Calefax has frequently visited over the last two decades and continues to fascinate. You can find more information about their upcoming tour here.
About the artist
Calefax is a close-knit ensemble of five reed players united by a shared passion. For thirty-five years they have been acclaimed in the Netherlands and abroad for their virtuosic playing, brilliant arrangements and innovative stage presentation. They are the inventors of a completely new genre: the reed quintet. They provide inspiration to young wind players from all over the world who follow in their footsteps. Calefax can be defined as a classical ensemble with a pop mentality. Calefax takes an adventurous approach to presenting its programmes and has an astonishingly varied repertoire. They perform their own arrangements and newly commissioned compositions for the combination of oboe, clarinet, saxophone, bass clarinet and bassoon. Calefax is open to the influence of world music, jazz and improvisation as a result of countless international tours and collaborations with all kinds of musicians.
About the event
The reed players of Calefax are touring across the United States on An American Rhapsody from March 18th until March 26th. The programme captures several iconic composers from different periods and backgrounds, ranging from Florence Price, Harry Burleigh, George Gershwin, Samuel Barber and Moondog to Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Billie Strayhorn, Stevie Wonder and Kinan Azmeh. Taken together, these pieces reflect America’s kaleidoscopic diversity and its rich yet complex culture and history. The album is a declaration of love to a country that Calefax has frequently visited over the last two decades and continues to fascinate.