Bijlmer Klassiek is back at CEC Meets with a wonderful concert featuring string quartets by Borodin and Haydn and a new work by Berima Amo.

The musicians of the Schoch Quartet came together during difficult times. While the cultural world was still confined to their homes, the four musicians from the Concertgebouw Orchestra decided to start making music again. They found inspiration and solace in the most beautiful music there is: the classical string quartet. The program features one of Haydn’s last string quartets and Alexander Borodin’s Second String Quartet, with its famous slow movement in which the violin and cello tell a true love story. During this concert, the brand-new work Son of Love by the Ghanaian-Dutch composer and Southeast resident Berima Amo will have its world premiere. While writing the piece, he was inspired by the sound of the kora, an instrument played by various tribes in northern Ghana. Two young talents from Southeast Amsterdam—a true musical goldmine—will also be making an appearance. Destin Rusland is an up-and-coming pianist who blends hip-hop with classical music. Joni Frans is a vocalist with a distinctive voice that she combines with neo-soul, pop, and R&B. In short: a quartet concert featuring

Come enjoy this evening edition of Bijlmer Klassiek at CEC Meets.

The vibrant Amsterdam-Zuidoost district boasts a rich musical culture unlike any other: from gospel to Ghanaian highlife music. For more than ten years, Music Stages has been organizing the Bijlmer Klassiek series in the district and is expanding this series with special events, where the audience is surprised time and again with spectacular crossover concerts. In this crossover concert, “Homage to Zuidoost,” musicians from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra will collaborate with the “Dutch Queen of Soul” Shirma Rouse, the popular ZO! Gospel Choir, and the multi-talented Berima Amo.

The program naturally features upbeat gospel songs, but the choir also embraces crossover with classical music and will perform, among other pieces, the magnificent Ave Verum by Mozart. There is a long-standing collaboration with Berima Amo, the world-class Dutch-Ghanaian singer, trumpeter, and composer, who will present his first composition featuring soloist Shirma Rouse and the ZO! Gospel Choir.  This work draws on influences from both the Ghanaian vocal tradition and elements of gospel, bringing classical music and gospel together in a fresh way.

With thanks to the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts, the Performing Arts Fund, Zabawas, and the Amsterdam Zuidoost District. Bijlmer Klassiek is a co-production of Music Stages and the Bijlmer Parktheater; the IJ-Salon is a co-production of Music Stages and the Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ.

Music Stages and the Rotary Club of Vinkeveen-Abcoude They are presenting a livestream concert together.

Classical musicians from the Concertgebouw Orchestra are collaborating with a charismatic Ghanaian trumpeter and composer, Berima Amo. They will meet for the first time at the Kazerne Reigersbos in Amsterdam Zuidoost for a series of workshops.
This benefit concert is the first of several concerts that will take place throughout 2021.

Donations are welcome:

Donations are more than welcome via geef.nl. The net proceeds from this concert will benefit a special water project in northern Kenya: www.wajir.org