A Journey of Artistic Discovery Across Europe
ULYSSES JOURNEYS FOR PERFORMERS
Organised by Gaudeamus, Netherlands
Within the framework of the Ulysses Journeys programme, Gaudeamus and Het Muziek team up for a special project: assembling a string orchestra for the Gaudeamus Festival 2026. The string orchestra is tutored by 5 dedicated musicians from Het Muziek and conducted and guided by Leslie Pérez-Canto Azaf. The following musicians were selected: Zofia Debska (viola, Polish/Warsaw), Svetlana Riger (violin, Russian/Stuttgart), Tiag Yi Tan (violin, Singaporean/Mannheim), Nicolò Bottasso (2nd violin, Italian/Rotterdam), Vivian Giesbertz (violin, Dutch/Detmold), Hortense Airault (violoncello, French/Bern) and Hesce Mourits (violoncello, Dutch/The Hague).
To complete the 10 positions in the string orchestra, three other players were approached: Timotej Willewaldt (Slovenian/The Hague), Alkistis Μisouli (Greece/Amsterdam), and Sacha Palies (Dutch/Utrecht).
Two compositions will be rehearsed for a performance at the Gaudeamus Festival:
- to try to remember what it left by Sing-Yat Chen, a work that was selected by the jury for the Gaudeamus Award 2026
- Perceptual Dialogues by Soheil Shayesteh, a concerto for kamancheh, trumpet, live electronics, visuals and orchestra. The trumpetist is the world famous Norwegian jazz trumpet player Nils Petter Molvær.
Besides the rehearsals and performances, Gaudeamus will offer several other elements to the selected musicians, such as a masterclass by Mivos Quartet and lectures on entrepreneurship in the contemporary music world, networking moments with other musicians, colleagues and professionals.
Programme
Sing-Yat Chen to try to remember what it left by
Soheil Shayesteh Perceptual Dialogues
