anti-chamber / performance · 2026
i’m listening
about the piece
the two brass players are at least 10 metres apart. they cannot use an in-ear metronome or any device to keep count; they have to listen to each other to make it through the piece.
i like to call this ensemble ‘anti-chamber’ because its performance relies heavily on the nature around it.
once they finish their parts, they leave their starting positions and move at least 20–30 metres away. then the soprano rises and begins to sing. from the distance, the brass players start playing again, creating an echo — as though they are playing through time and the wind is carrying the music they played before.
i was interested in the timbre of brass instruments playing loudly but softly at the same time, almost like a whisper.
the piece was written for rhijnhof cemetery in leiden, the netherlands, for a day when families come to mourn those they have lost.
before the performance, i was invited to choose the location for the piece. two half-bridges faced each other across a large pond, with enormous trees behind one of them. i liked the idea that the water would carry the sound between the players, and that the tree branches would soften it. there was also an angel-like statue, which felt like the perfect place for the soprano.
performed on 21 june 2026, at rhijnhof cemetery in leiden
credits
saxophone — bela cvanciger
trumpet — nehir günay
soprano — katrine sjøboden