Fuensanta is without a doubt one of the most fascinating artists in the Dutch jazz scene. A first-place win at the Princess Christina Jazz Competition launched the young Mexican singer, double bassist, and composer’s remarkable career. She has performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival and held a residency at the Bimhuis. This IJ-Salon marks her first collaboration with musicians from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

‘I love your strings. Can we please do something with strings? Do they improvise?’ Fuensanta reacted with immediate, effusive enthusiasm when Michael Gieler, artistic director of the IJ-Salon, called her. This promises to be an exciting encounter in a relatively unknown musical realm between the musicians of the Concertgebouw Orchestra and Fuensanta.

Amsterdam is a hotspot for jazz and free improvisation. Here, enthusiasts can encounter not only international greats but also the most interesting up-and-coming talents. We’ve invited a number of them to challenge musicians from the Concertgebouw Orchestra in a genre that’s new to them. In addition to improvised music, the program features works by Bartók and Satie.

Michael Gieler, artistic director of IJ-Salon: ‘Sun-Mi Hong is a fascinating musician and composer. Through her own efforts and passion alone, she has broken free from her background to become one of the most formidable young musicians to have settled in Amsterdam. Her music is subtle and multi-layered. She draws her inspiration from the great French composers and Béla Bartók.’

The Alma Quartet is the coolest string quartet in the ranks of the Concertgebouw Orchestra. In addition to the great classical string quartets, they also enjoy exploring adventurous programs. Today they present a colorful program featuring film music from the James Bond series, jazzy sounds by Schulhoff and Louis Armstrong, and new compositions by young composers from Amsterdam Zuidoost.

With the Bijlmer Klassiek series, Michael Gieler brings world-class chamber music to Amsterdam-Zuidoost. Members of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra perform in an intimate setting and connect with artists who have their roots in the Bijlmer. In the auditorium of the Bijlmer Parktheater, great names like Beethoven and Schubert go hand in hand with upbeat songs from around the world. Bijlmer Klassiek is a joint project of Music Stages and the Bijlmer Parktheater.

The American George Gershwin is one of composer and pianist Rembrandt Frerichs’s greatest inspirations. Like a bolt from the blue, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue for piano and jazz band burst onto the European music scene nearly a century ago. And to this day, the work continues to resonate. Anyone who has ever heard the piercing clarinet solo that opens this popular piano concerto will never forget it. A hundred years later, we set out to find today’s Dutch Gershwin.

Michael Gieler, artistic director of Music Stages: ‘Rembrandt is a wonderful artist, versatile and inventive. We’ve asked him and three young Dutch composers to follow in Gershwin’s footsteps and write a new piece that bridges the gap between jazz and classical music. They’ll have a fantastic group of musicians at their disposal for the performance. Full swing guaranteed!’

We’re not going to let the best concert of 2020 slip through our fingers just like that. The concert on May 22, featuring a collaboration between Graziëlla Hunsel Rivero—“The First Lady of Jazz from Amsterdam-Zuidoost”—and the versatile pianist and composer Rembrandt Frerichs, will get a second chance on October 2. Fine jazz combined with classical music is a true musical experience.

Graziella Hunsel really needs no introduction. This charismatic singer has long since stolen the hearts of all jazz lovers—and certainly not just in the Bijlmer. All of her concerts are a celebration where musicians and the audience feel at home and welcome.
For this program, she and artistic director Michael Gieler put together a swinging program including some of the most beautiful jazz standards, ranging from George Gershwin to Ella Fitzgerald.