Eyes and Ears

Michel van der Aa and Brigitta Muntendorf are groundbreaking composers who incorporate other media into their musical language. Van der Aa’s music is characterized by a constant interplay between stillness and movement and between acoustic and electronic. He uses old and new techniques, from tape recorder to 3D. His music triggers both the eyes and the ears. In Oog (‘Eye’) for cello and soundtrack, he plays with the perception of illusion and reality. Do you hear what you see or do you see what you hear? Brigitta Muntendorf studied composition with the South Korean composer Younghi Pagh-Paan. Flute Cover is the first work in the Public Privacy series for solo instrument and video. Here, a live performer engages in a dialogue with instrumentalists from YouTube. The series explores the intersection of private and public spheres, using a method Muntendorf calls Social Composing. Muntendorf’s Melencolia was a resounding success when it was performed at the Muziekgebouw during the Holland Festival 2024.