Today, the Muziekgebouw in Amsterdam hosted the unique symphonic blend of the Noord Nederlands Orkest and Fryslân-raised composer Karmit Fadael.
My role began early in the day with the meticulous load-in process, where my team and I worked seamlessly with the orchestra’s own skilled crew to arrange accommodations for 73 musicians on stage—a task demanding precision and collaborative spirit. We also accommodated a feed for live broadcast over national classical radio.
Preparing the Foyer Deck 1
Later in the evening, my focus shifted to Foyer Deck 1, where I was responsible for the audio setup for Thea Derks’s pre-concert presentation. Having received audio and video fragments from Derks prior to the event, I ensured these were perfectly queued in QLab. The presentation unfolded without a hitch, thanks to the refined acoustics of the foyer, which I’ve mastered over time to reduce reverberation, particularly with a strategic dip at 4 kHz, making the space sound spectacular.
The Main Performance
As the concert commenced, the Muziekgebouw came alive with the premieres of Anders Hillborg’s “Mantra – Elegy” and Karmit Fadael’s “Mimesis”, followed by an innovative rendition of Simeon ten Holt’s “Canto Ostinato”. The Noord Nederlands Orkest, under the baton of Eivind Gullberg Jensen, delivered a compelling performance, matched in intensity by Pieter van Loenen’s impassioned violin.
Conclusion
The night’s collaboration between orchestra, soloist, and crew highlighted the collective effort required to bring such an ambitious project to fruition. Corny as it sounds, I especially appreciated the interactions with Thea and the artists as they left the stage, and wanted/needed someone to talk to. It might not always show from the audience, but these people can be relieved and exuberant when their performance went well. It’s a nice vibe to be in.