Daan: “Our program is the acoustic equivalent of Panorama Mesdag.”

On October 19, the Hague ensemble Kluster5 will play at Festival Dag in de Branding. They present Sonic Panorama in Korzo, inspired by the famous Panorama Mesdag. What do you hear in the buffer zone between city and sea? Kluster5 asks that question with this program full of work by young composers. Daan: “We focus on music by the younger generation of composers, with whom we feel related. Like the composers on this program.”

You are called Kluster5, but there are currently four of you.
‘That’s right! At the moment, we don’t have a permanent percussionist. We are currently playing with several great percussionists, until we have found someone with whom we click on all levels.’

What kind of ensemble is Kluster5?
‘We try to give new music a new look. As an ensemble, we like to think about our presentation, our appearance, how we are on stage and how we connect with the audience. For example, we made the visual album Perceived reality, in which music and film form one whole. And we made the fitness performance Workout Union from Louis Andriessen’s Workers Union. When we played it at the Oranjewoud Festival, a lot of athletes showed up, who thought it was a ‘normal’ aerobics hour. They all listened to Andriessen. In this way, we also reach a new audience.’

Do you often play modern classics like Andriessen’s piece?
That’s actually an exception. We focus on music by the younger generation of composers, with whom we feel related. Like the composers on this programme. They all write very well for us in acoustic terms. We have quite a difficult line-up, the saxophone is loud and can be dominant, while the acoustic guitar is very soft. We play contemporary chamber music, based on the classical tradition.’

How did the Sonic Panorama programme come about?
‘Together with Jan-Peter de Graaff, the festival’s guest curator, we went through our repertoire, looking for pieces that fit the theme of the border between city and sea. It is important to us that programmes have a strong coherence. That is how we came up with the idea of ​​creating an acoustic equivalent of Panorama Mesdag, which shows a seascape at Scheveningen.’

Were you and Jan-Peter de Graaff on the same page?
‘Certainly. I have been working with Jan-Peter for a long time and we have a good connection. He often puts a baritone sax in his pieces and I get to play that, haha. He even wrote the solo Zandzeebar in this programme for my final exam at the conservatory. I have not played the piece anywhere since then, so this will be the first time for an audience! But that is an exception, mind you. We think it is important to think about the sustainability of our repertoire and to ensure that pieces do not end up on a shelf. The composers on this programme are really composers with whom we identify as an ensemble and who we want to keep with us. We do that by playing them.’

Curious about the Sonic Panorama program performed by Kluster5? Come to Korzo on October 19 at 5:00 PM. Tickets and info.