Late Night – Nikel Ensemble

With a line-up of saxophone, electric guitar, percussion and piano, the Nikel Ensemble manages to add a new element to contemporary music. It strives towards an ultimate blend of electronic and acoustic sounds. Its search for a new genre aligns nicely with Gaudeamus Muziekweek, and so it’s not for nothing that it is this year’s ensemble-in-residence.

For his stark work Fleisch, Enno Poppe drew inspiration from rock music. Or rather, he dissected the genre, stripped it of all stereotypes, and constructed a new piece out of the ruin left behind. Of an entirely different order is the piece by Oliver Thurley, in which a slowly shifting sombre atmosphere predominates. Gaudeamus Award nominee William Kuo completes this Late Night programme with spanking new work.