A composer portrait around the work of Dutch composer Bianca Bongers, following her recently released CD Surrounded by Air on the label 7 Mountain Records. The album consists of eight solo and chamber works, performed by a variety of international soloists and ensembles, including Trio Catch (DE), Ensemble Adapter (DE) and Intercontinental Ensemble led by Lucas Vis. Characteristic of her music is a spatial mindset. De Volkskrant reviews, “Perhaps that is why the eight pieces sound like floating objects. They whirl around, graze the eardrum, seem amazed at the sound they take on.”
~ Guido van Oorschot (****)

The Portrait Concert features four of the recorded works performed by Vincent van Amsterdam, Andreas Mader, Christos Papandreopoulos, Tosca Opdam and by Bianca herself. Two of these, “Landslides” for accordion (2016) and “Reiken” for violin, alto saxophone and piano (2018) were commissioned by Gaudeamus Music Week. In addition, two works are on the program, both of which are firsts.

These include the Dutch premiere of “When do we start to dance again” for alto saxophone (2013). A recent work, “Echo” for violin and piano (2021), Bianca wrote for NTR Podium, where it was premiered on NPO Radio 4. At this concert, it will be heard LIVE in front of an audience for the first time. This makes the program a showcase of her working life as a composer, which began in 2013 with the performance of her own work “Three movements and a closing” for cello. Dealing with rhythm and tonality developed rapidly thereafter. She takes lessons with Daan Manneke and studied composition with Wim Henderickx and Luc van Hove at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp. She also takes master classes with Wolfgang Rihm, Brian Ferneyhough and Rebecca Saunders, among others. In each subsequent piece, she tries to get closer and closer to her visual representation of music.