Joost Willemze at Grachten Festival

Anyone who only associates the harp with fine salon music will be disappointed this evening. Harpist Joost Willemze, nominated for the GrachtenfestivalPrijs 2023, takes you to a wide spectrum of sounds like you've never heard the harp before. In the beautiful Winter Garden of Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky he gives harp classics a new look in a striking collaboration with the Dokwerk Saxophone Quartet and creates a world with sound extremes in a collaboration with live electronics artist Soheil Shayesteh. The winner of the GrachtenfestivalPrijs will be the Artist in Residence for the Grachtenfestival 2024, and Joost will show us this evening why he is a very serious candidate for that! The concert is presented by Ab Nieuwdorp, presenter of De Classics on NPO Klassiek and artistic advisor to the Grachtenfestival. Program C. Debussy (1862-1918), arr. W. van Merwijk: Danse sacrée et danse profane C. Micháns (*1950): Trois Visions Tantriques Joost Willemze, harp and Dokwerk Saxophone Quartet P. Chertok (1918-1981): Around the Clock Suite Joost Willemze, harp K. Saariaho (*1952): Fall  U. Vesje (*1989): Life is flashing before my eyes and I realize it all started with a blackbird R. Amin Tafreshi (*1992) & S. Shayesteh (*1989): Event Horizon: the point of no return Joost Willemze, harp and Soheil Shayesteh, live electronics

Joost Willemze, harp

Joost Willemze (1996) is one of the greatest Dutch harp talents. He was a prizewinner at various national and international competitions, such as the International Harp Competition in Wales, the Gershwin Competition in New York, the Concours Godefroid in Tournai and the Korea International Harp Competition; he won the International Harp Competition in Porto in 2017 and the Italian Competition Suoni d'Arpa in 2018, and won prizes at the Princess Christina Competition. At the beginning of 2022 he recorded his debut CD with AVROTROS Classic. In 2022/2023 Joost has been selected as a finalist of Dutch Classical Talent. In 2008 Joost became a student of the Musical Talent Academy, where he studied with Erika Waardenburg and Edward Witsenburg. In September 2021 he obtained his master's degree with excellent assessment at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. He has given many concerts in Italy, Spain and Brazil and is a regular guest on radio and television programmes. Joost appeared on television as a soloist with the Netherlands Youth Orchestra at the Kinderprinsengracht concert in 2010. In May 2013, he was one of the four finalists in the NTR program De Avond van de Jonge Musicus, where he performed as a soloist with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra. As an orchestral musician, Joost played in the European Union Youth Orchestra and the National Youth Orchestra, and also as a substitute with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchester de la Suisse Romande. In May 2013 he was one of the four finalists in the NTR program De Avond van de Jonge Musicus, where he performed as a soloist with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra. As an orchestral musician, Joost played in the European Union Youth Orchestra and the National Youth Orchestra, and also as a substitute with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchester de la Suisse Romande. In May 2013 he was one of the four finalists in the NTR program De Avond van de Jonge Musicus, where he performed as a soloist with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra. As an orchestral musician, Joost played in the European Union Youth Orchestra and the National Youth Orchestra, and also as a substitute with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchester de la Suisse Romande.

Joost Willemze harp  /  Soheil Shayesteh live electronics Dokwerk Saxophone Quartetmusicians/ensembles

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