The central work of this concert is Vol de Nuit, a 30-minute piece by Azmeh written for Cello Octet Amsterdam. The concert will feature a full performance of the work interwoven with solo improvised clarinet interludes performed by the composer.

In the program notes of the composition: Vol de Nuit is not an adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's wonderful novel, nor is it a dedication to that lovely bar with the same name in downtown New York. The piece is a reflection on the night flights from New York to Amsterdam that the Syrian artist has taken so often, starting with the evening taxi ride from Brooklyn to JFK airport all the way to the morning train ride from Schiphol to Amsterdam Centraal. In some strange way, music experienced in that metal capsule always felt more urgent, powerful, and primal, allowing the composer to feel empowered and at home in transit.

• Sanne Bijker, cello
• Claire Bleumer, cello
• Sanne van der Horst, cello
• Rares Mihailescu, cello
• René van Munster, cello
• Alistair Sung, cello
• Esther Torrenga, cello
• Genevieve Verhage, cello
• Kinan Azmeh, clarinet

      Admission is free.