During my residency in PARK in collaboration with De Link Tilburg, I've really tried to find and capture the way of thinking of 'CIVIL' by Ricardo van Eyk.

One of the objects turned out to be a beautiful (and even tuned!) instrument. The shape of it, where the round and straight lines are coming together, I experienced as one of the centre pieces of this exposition in terms of form. It inspired me to make a miniature with sound 'drops' falling in from above and passing through the narrow middle before they fall down at the floor. Listen here to 'Trechter ><' for cello & artwork percussion!

For more info and tickets:
https://www.park013.nl/nl/bianca-bongers

Album van Bianca

1. Trechter >< - for cello & artwork percussion (2021)

Live recording by Intercontinental Ensemble at Groenmarktkerk Haarlem on 22th of August 2021 ~ PREMIER ~

It is the fourth in my series ‘Surrounded by Air’, consisting of short and details chamber music pieces with a playful and spatial character. This one, the fourth, is definitely the largest in instrumentation and probably also the most deep in its character. I’ve went back to my memory of five years ago. When I studied at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp, in 2016 there has been an attack at the Brussels Airport. Belgium was in a higher state of security, and the atmosphere felt shady. When I arrived back in the evening to my hometown Haarlem, I’ve experienced a huge contrast. While biking home, I felt how calm and peaceful it was there. I remember thinking: “here the misery seems so far away!”. It was dark, I felt the wind blow and in the distance I heard the church bells ring. When I came closer, they became louder until I passed them and faded out again. Hearing water lapping against the quay, flags flapping in the wind. Right there I knew this bike ride home, was as a piece that I wished to once write. 

While talking with the ensemble, this image got connected with a second one, a ‘silent protest’. Linked to the theme ‘Resistance’ of Grachtenfestival, that memorizes 80 years since the February Strike of 1941. While going into hiding actually became recognized as a form of resistance, I started to take a closer look on the situation in of my grandfather of mother’s side, who was from a Jewish family. When he was 17 years old, he moved from Amsterdam to Veenendaal, together with his older brother who found a hiding place for them. Reading about how organizations were formed to help Jewish people, I’ve came across all types of hiding stories. So many individual people, coming together into the same ‘fate’. From here, I shaped the opening of the piece. Later while looking for the silence of that night in Haarlem, actually a lot of sound came out: as an unresolved expression, that needs to be processed. Around are free and spontaneous moments, as ambient sounds that pass by you. All until we start to hear the bells ring in the distance, they come closer and fade out again…

~ A piece as a memory, 
Dedicated to my grandfather Alfred Pach

Surrounded by Air - Appearance IV, is commissioned by Intercontinental Ensemble with guest percussionist Dániel Bolba, thanks to funding by Fonds Podiumkunsten. 

Musicians:
Ernst Spyckerelle, viool
 Iteke Wijbenga, altviool 
Simon Velthuis, cello 
Jorge Hernándes, contrabas 
Thomas Sargeaunt, fluit
 Ivan Cheng, hobo
 Alfonso Manzanera Rojo, klarinet 
Hendrik Marinus, hoorn 
Àlvaro Machado, fagot
 Dániel Bolba, slagwerk

Order the score here:
https://webshop.donemus.nl/action/front/sheetmusic/21077/Surrounded+by+Air+-+Appearance+IV

www.biancabongers.nl
www.intercontinentalensemble.com

Surrounded by Air - Appearance IV for nonet & percussion (2021)

Live recording of 'Bewegingsvrij' in version for nonet, played by Intercontinental Ensemble on the 22th of August 2021 at Groenmarktkerk, Haarlem - PRE PREMIER!

Musicians:
Ernst Spyckerelle, viool
 Iteke Wijbenga, altviool 
Simon Velthuis, cello 
Jorge Hernándes, contrabas 
Thomas Sargeaunt, fluit
 Ivan Cheng, hobo
 Alfonso Manzanera Rojo, klarinet 
Hendrik Marinus, hoorn 
Àlvaro Machado, fagot

This piece was originally written for vocal double quartet s'OTTOvoces, who will PREMIER the piece on 26th of November 2021 in Grote Kerk, Breda. (Due to corona, this performance got postponed for 1,5 years)

Audio by Cees Oosterhuis.

www.biancabongers.nl
www.intercontinentalensemble.com
www.sottovoces.nl

'Bewegingsvrij' voor nonet (2019/21)

'Mitte' voor altviool trio (2022), semi-live opname gemaakt bij de première op 3 april 2022 in de Amstelkerk, Amsterdam.

Uitgevoerd door Trio Estatico:
Paul Beckett, altviool (Klangforum Wien)
Megumi Kasakawa, altviool (Ensemble Modern)
Jack Stulz, altviool (Ensemble Intercontemporain)

Dit project is mogelijk gemaakt door 'New Music NOW files'. 

Audio: Victor Dekker

www.trio-estatico.com
www.newmusicnow.nl

'Mitte' for viola trio

Recorded by Triotique for their album '3D', published by Etcetera Records in 2018.

3. Surrounded by Air, Appearance II (2018)
for flute, oboe and piano

Elke Elsen, flute
Frauke Elsen, oboe
Margot Welleman, piano

Buy at:
http://triotique.be
https://www.etcetera-records.com/album/693/3d

'Surrounded by air, Appearance II' for flute, oboe and piano (2018) - Bianca Bongers

'Reiken' was written for Kugoni Trio in 2018, commissioned by Gaudeamus Muziekweek.

Nicolas Dupont, violin
Kurt Bertels, alto saxophone
Bert Koch, piano

Semi live recording by TRPTK on 8th of September 2018, Muziekhuis Utrecht (NL)

www.biancabongers.nl
www.kugonitrio.be
www.gaudeamus.nl
www.trptk.com

Bongers - Reiken (2018)

'Reiken' for violin, alto saxophone & piano (2018) - Bianca Bongers

Live recording made on the 19th of June 2015, Stadsgalerij Breda (NL)

Kiki Luitwieler, voice
Sylvie Klijn, piano/voice
Thomas van Geelen, cello
Floris van Alebeek, clarinet
Jules Stoffels, bass guitar

http://www.biancabongers.nl
http://www.sylvieklijn.nl

BE STEP WALK for mezzo soprano, clarinet, cello, bass guitar & piano (2015)

Live recoding made during Gaudeamus Muziekweek 2016, as part of 'Nieuwe noten voor accordeon' in collaboration with Grachtenfestival Amsterdam.

Vincent van Amsterdam, accordion

www.vincentvanamsterdam.nl
www.biancabongers.nl
www.donemus.nl

'Aardverschuivingen' for accordion solo (2016)

Live recording by Ensemble Adapter at ExRotaprint Berlin - 22th of February 2020. Commissioned as part of their 'Adoptions'.

Kristjana Helgadóttir, piccolo
Ingólfur Vilhjálmsson, bass clarinet
Gunnhildur Einarsdóttir, harp
Matthias Engler, percussion

Kassian Troyer, recording & mix

'I want to make a jewel to the harp. The ensemble piece can be placed on the harp piece, just like a jewel. it makes the harp shine, gives dept and enhances the sound. When you take it off, you can lay it at your night desk or save it in your drawer, and still it will be beautiful, refined’

Score soon to be available at Donemus Publishing!

biancabongers.nl
ensemble-adapter.de
kassiantroyer.com
donemus.nl

'A jewel to the harp' for piccolo, bass clarinet, harp & percussion (2020)

>>New release out on Spotify!<<
Bianca Bongers (1987, Breda) studeerde compositie bij Wim Henderickx en Luc van Hove aan het Koninklijk Conservato- rium van Antwerpen en cello bij Monique Heidema aan het Fontys Conservatorium in Tilburg. Na de master cello in 2014, behaalde zij in 2017 de master compositie met de 'grootste onderscheiding'. Eerder volgde ze compositielessen bij Daan Manneke en Willem Jeths. Masterclasses volgde ze bij o.a. Wolfgang Rihm, Brian Ferneyhough en Rebecca Saunders.

Bianca werkte samen met musici en ensembles zoals Antwerp Symphony Orchestra (BE), Kugoni Trio (BE), Trio Catch (DE), International Ensemble Modern Academy (DE), Lucerne Festival Alumni (CH), Ensemble Adapter (DE), Trio Estatico (DE/FR), Intercontinental Ensemble en Vincent van Amsterdam, met uitvoeringen tijdens o.a. Gaudeamus Muziekweek, November Music, Lucerne Festival (CH), Internationales Musikinstitut Darmstadt (DE), Kurt Weill Fest (DE), OpenDays Festival (DK), Ultraschall Berlin (DE) en Grachtenfestival. In 2019 werd Bianca namens Gaudeamus Muziekweek gepresenteerd voor een uitwisseling met Korean Composers Association, waar zij de lezing ‘My visual composing’ gaf, met aansluitend uitvoering van haar werk door Wiro Ensemble in het Seoul Arts Centre (KR).

Opnames van haar werk zijn verschenen bij o.a. het label TRPTK van Reiken voor viool, alt saxofoon & piano (2018) en Collage van een Achtvlak voor nonet (2016/19). Haar stuk Surrounded by Air – Appearance II voor fluit, hobo & piano (2018) werd opgenomen door Triotique (BE) en uitgegeven door Etcetera Records in het najaar van 2018. Radiouitzendingen klonken op rbbKultur, Deutschlandfunk Kultur, National Danish Radio ‘DR P2’, Concertzender en NPO Radio 4, waar ze te gast was in het programma VPRO Vrije geluiden van Aad van Nieuwkerk en Pandora’s Late Night gepresenteerd door Beitske de Jong. In 2020 ging Come wide close voor sopraansaxofoon, gespeeld door Andreas Mader (AT) live in première vanuit Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ in Amsterdam uitgezonden door de NTR. In 2021 schreef zij in opdracht van NTR Podium het werk ‘Echo’ voor viool & piano, uitgevoerd door Tosca Opdam en Alexander Ullman, met een live radiopremière in het kader van ‘400 jaar Sweelinck’.
Als celliste speelde ze met ensembles waaronder Insomnio, Lunatree, VONK en L’instant Donné (FR). Haar liefde voor zowel de hedendaagse- als oude muziek kwam tot uiting in haar soloprogramma 'Roots and Remnants' waarmee zij o.a. speelde op festivals Incubate en 'Frisse oren'. Ze werkte samen met componisten als Steve Reich, Michel van der Aa, Merijn Bisschops en Daan Manneke, wiens werk zij veelvuldig uitgevoerd en opgenomen heeft.

Bianca is lid van het genootschap Nederlandse componisten ‘Nieuw Geneco’ en haar werk wordt uitgegeven bij Donemus Publishing.

Bianca Bongers

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