W.A.L.L.

TEMKO & Slagwerk Den Haag

Composer and guitarist Aart Strootman won the Gaudeamus Award in 2017 for his unique and inspiring sound inventions. Winning the Award meant he received a commission to write a brand-new work. During the opening concert of the Gaudeamus Muziekweek 2019 this ambitious work, entitled W.A.L.L, was premiered. It’s a reflection on the return of ‘the wall’ in our politically turbulent times, with firewalls, Wall Street and American border walls (unconsciously) confronting us with borders. In the second half of the evening, Oerknal plays a brand-new piece by Clara Iannotta, jury member for the Gaudeamus Award 2019.

W.A.L.L is a piece for microtonal tubular bells, guitars and a gigantic marimba, all built by Aart Strootman. With these home-made instruments Strootman builds a wall of outrageous, impenetrable sounds, supplemented by abstract visual projections. The piece is performed by the unorthodox trio TEMKO, of which Strootman himself is a member. The trio moves freely between composed music, minimal, ambient, prog rock and improv. The line-up is expanded for the occasion with members of Slagwerk Den Haag and guitar players Hijmans and Harden.