Jazz group and classical orchestra encounter each other in a dream project.

Nicolò Ricci saxophone, Anton Jakimenko clarinet, Maripepa Contreras oboe, Remi Kazukauskas flute, Maria Losada Burgo bassoon, Sarah Oates violin, Elina Buksha violin, Oene van Geel viola, Eduardo Tonietto cello, Doriene Marselje harp, Pedro Branco guitar, Alessandro Fongaro double bass, João Sousa drums

In the BIMHUIS Productions series REFLEX we invite musicians to reflect on the world and society. Saxophonist Nicolò Ricci grabs the opportunity to fulfil his lifelong dream of composing for a chamber orchestra. ‘This is something I have been fantasizing about,’ he says. ‘Composing has always been a primary aspect of music making for me, influenced by my father, a contemporary classical composer who exposed me to the great classical masters, the Italian avant-garde, and his own compositions from a young age.’

The chamber orchestra will collaborate with Ricci’s jazz quartet, which emphasizes improvisation. ‘As an improviser, I’ve come to view the process of creating a personal language as akin to composition – a patient selection or creation of musical elements that contribute to expanding one’s vocabulary,’ he says. Nicolò Ricci was born in Italy and has been living in Amsterdam since 2015, He has regularly performed on our stage, for example in the bands Ambergris, Jo Goes Hunting Orchestra and Sun-Mi Hong Quintet. He has previously collaborated with international luminaries such as Steve Swallow, Jesper Bodilsen en David Binney.