in the bimhuis productions series reflex we invite musicians to reflect on the world and society. farida amadou took the opportunity to form her first large ensemble. in kaleidoscope ensemble, befriended musicians improvise around west african rhythms and melodies. each of them will bring in their own background and exceptional musical skills. the necessity of breaking frontiers is the main political statement behind this ensemble. brussels-based farida amadou is a remarkable new player in the international improvised music world. as a self-taught player she uses the electric bass as a point of departure for exciting and often relentless sonic explorations. she has previously collaborated with the likes of ken vandermark, thurston moore and wolf eyes. the members of kaleidoscope ensemble are known from, among others, irreversible entanglements, hues and dave douglas quintet.

craig taborn, phenomenal improviser and pioneer in jazz and experimental music, presents new work following a residency at the bimhuis, where he worked with several musicians. the fresh material will be presented at holland festival. the american pianist and composer plays a leading role in the current development of jazz, improvisation and experimental music. his style of playing explores the piano in a profound way. during his career he collaborated with renowned musicians such as roscoe mitchell, wadada leo smith and lester bowie. during his residency he will collaborate with okkyung lee, sun-mi hong and alessandro fongaro. cellist okkyung lee is mostly known for her improvisational work, but also creates site specific work reacting to the architecture, audience or objects around her. drummer sun-mi hong is praised for her boundless creativity and infectious energy. her music combines korean and european traditions. alessandro fongaro is an up and coming bassist and composer who is making name with his band pietre.

in the bimhuis productions series reflex we invite musicians to reflect on the world and society. the curator of this edition is jamie peet, who has proven himself in the last decade as a jazz drummer for the new generation who does not eschew complexity and who embraces the music of his own time. especially for reflex he has formed a band with saxophonist ben van gelder, bassist pat cleaver and renowned american vibraphonist joel ross. drummer jamie peet is one of the most in-demand drummers in the netherlands, who has worked in both jazz and hip-hop. he has toured with gregory porter and kris bowers, and he previously performed on our stage with y-otis, jasper hoiby 3 elements &tin men and the telephone. he’s part of a new wave of musicians and bands who fuse jazz, hiphop, dance and electronics. in this context he played with the likes of jameszoo, niels broos and dolphin hyperspace.

this year the bimhuis composition assignment has been awarded to corrie van binsbergen, who after a phenomenal career as a guitarist has dedicated herself to composing. fragments of text, poetry, interviews with artists, film dialogs and more form the libretto for her new composition. it will be performed by an extraordinary septet with mostly young musicians with whom van binsbergen has not worked before. she controls the text samples on stage and may even pick up the guitar. composer and guitarist corrie van binsbergen leads stichting brokken, a foundation which has initiated countless crossover projects. she became known with her group corrie en de (grote) brokken. she developed a singular and surprising combination of music and literature, which she has dubbed ‘films for the ears’. she has collaborated with many literary authors, and has received important awards such as the boy edgar prijs and the buma classical award 2024.