world premiere

Premiering at Rewire 2024, Cello Octet Amsterdam and audiovisual artist Nick Verstand, present a new live collaborative performance titled Cocon, featuring specially commissioned pieces written by internationally renowned artists Caterina Barbieri, Kara-Lis Coverdale, KMRU & Abul Mogard, Jesse Broekman, and Qasim Naqvi – all of whom are writing for cello for the very first time. Cello Octet Amsterdam consists of musicians Claire Bleumer, Esther Torrenga, Genevieve Verhage, Alistair Sung, Rares Mihailescu, René van Munster, Sanne Bijker, and Sanne van der Horst. Having collaborated with composers such as Philip Glass, Sofia Gubaidulina, and Arvo Pärt, the octet have made a name for themselves as a distinguished chamber-music ensemble in the Netherlands and abroad. Nick Verstand is an artist, performer, and light designer whose incredible stage and light installations have included collaborations with artists such as Björk, Doja Cat, Fatima Yamaha, and Suzanne Ciani. Combining light, kinetics, and sound, the performance takes place within a large installation. It envelops the eight cellists in a grasping cocoon of eight robotic arms which interact autonomously with the performers – moving, unfolding, and holding them in an attempt to reflect on humanity’s relationship to other beings on this planet.

Music:

Qasim Naqvi – Sine 1 & 2

Jesse Broekman – We walk by threads of light

Kara-Lis Coverdale – Endocrine

Abul Mogard & KMRU – Drawing Water on Matching Teal Surfaces Arr. René van Munster

Caterina Barbieri – Scratches on the Readable Surface (Cello Octet) Arr. Alistair Sung

Nick Verstand – art director, scenography, light

Daniel de Bruin – hardware design & engineering

Wes Broersen – motion & software engineer

Pim Swinkels – electronica engineer

Wout Panis – creative technical producer

Paul Jeukendrup – sound design

On stage: Cello Octet Amsterdam 

Concept and co-production: Cello Octet Amsterdam & Nick Verstand

Cocon  is mede mogelijk gemaakt met financiële steun van het Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie, Het Kersjes Fonds, Fonds 21, Fonds Podiumkunsten, Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst en Stichting Zabawas.

*This is a seated concert