Founded in 1985, Calefax is an ensemble consisting of oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, and bassoon, with a long-standing passion for contemporary music. Over the years, they've commissioned works from various composers.

The young Dutch composer Jan-Peter de Graaff writes his first piece for the colorful ensemble, titled Enivrez-vous. His colleague Joël Bons brings the versatility of the quintet to life with Six Scenes, which is performed here for the first time as a complete cycle. The program begins with Op pijl – a brief introduction – followed by Domino, where bassoon and bass clarinet play tag; Little Screw, a fragmented blues that evolves from sultry to exuberant; Carousel, a quirky carnival piece; Flow, which offers depth and calm; and concludes with Paykan, where the musicians are driven by fast riffs, particularly from the bassoon.

Additionally, Calefax performs Red by the young Californian composer Nina Shekhar, who won the Calefax Composers Competition two years ago. The ensemble also plays a classic from their repertoire, Zügvogel, by the German composer Carola Bauckholt, a true tonal poet with a unique sound language.

Program:

• Joël Bons - Six Scenes
• Jan-Peter de Graaff - Enivrez-vous!
• Carola Bauckholt - Zügvogel
• Nina Shekhar - Red

Calefax:

• Oliver Boekhoorn - oboe
• Bart de Kater - clarinet
• Raaf Hekkema - saxophone
• Jelte Althuis - bass clarinet
• Alban Wesly - bassoon