Anzû Quartet, founded only in 2020, consists of members who have already made their mark in the New York circuit. Ken Thomson (clarinet) and Ashley Bathgate (cello), for instance, played with Bang On A Can All-Stars for many years. We are therefore delighted to bring the quartet to Tilburg on its first post-covid tour in the Netherlands, for a mixed concert including a world premiere.

That brand-new work is by Iranian/Dutch composer Aftab Darvishi, who previously wrote the impressive string quartet Daughters of Sol for the Kronos Quartet. For to…serenity (composition commissioned by De Link), she drew inspiration from the sorna, a traditional Persian woodwind instrument mainly used during festive ceremonies. The continuous cadence of both the clarinet and the other instruments refers indirectly to this Eastern dance ritual.