Founded in 1985, Calefax is an ensemble consisting of oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, and bassoon. They have always had a passion for contemporary music, commissioning numerous composers throughout their career.

The young Dutch composer Jan-Peter de Graaff writes his first piece for the colorful ensemble Calefax, titled Enivrez-vous. His colleague Joël Bons allows the versatility of the quintet to shine in his Six Scenes, which is performed here for the first time as a complete cycle. The program begins with Op pijl, a short introduction, followed by Domino, where bassoon and bass clarinet play tag; Little Screw is a twisted blues evolving from sultry to exuberant; after the playful carnival of Carousel, Flow brings depth and tranquility; and fueled by the bassoon, the musicians egg each other on with fast riffs in the final movement, Paykan.

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

The performance took place at November Music 2022.

Program:

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

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