Besides large-scale orchestral works, Klaas de Vries has written many wonderful pieces of chamber music. Although the concert at the Paleiskerk includes just a fraction of those, the overall programme breathes the De Vries spirit: the violinist is Klaas de Vries’ daughter, Jellantsje de Vries, who forms a duo with pianist Bobby Mitchell. In addition, pianist Matthijs van Wijhe plays several pieces for piano solo.

Jellantsje de Vries and Bobby Mitchell made a strong impression with the highly original selection of pieces on their album Kraakhelder, released by 7 Mountain Records. One of the pieces on the album is in this programme: Ruth Crawford Seeger’s Sonata for violin and piano (1926). This rarely played piece combines influences from folk music with modernist prickliness, in an inspired interpretation by De Vries and Mitchell.

The programme combines Crawford Seeger with two more recent pieces for violin and piano: a brand-new one by conductor and composer Gregory Charette and two movements from Frederic Rzewski’s Satires (2015). Matthijs van Wijhe’s part of the programme consists of a new composition for solo piano and electronics by American-Dutch Christina Oorebeek, an almost exact contemporary of Klaas de Vries, and his one-time student, plus two out of 4 Pianopieces (2018) by De Vries: Harmonieën and Frasen.