THE ROENTGEN CONNECTION
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The Roentgen Connection was founded in March 2002 by harpsichordist Goska Isphording and blokflutist Karolina Bäter in order to perform contemporary music on their historical instruments. The idea of ‘Roentgen’ beams (X-ray) screening the musical material has been an important central thought for the ensemble from the start. The contrast between the historical instruments (blokflute, harpsichord) and the extremely contemporary music seemed to be a major challenge; the aim was to free those instruments from their historical context and place them in the contemporary music as independent instruments. The experiment soon proved successful and the confrontation between old and new began.
The Roentgen Connection has won prizes at various competitions, such as the first prize at the 'Ínternational Penderecki Competition for Modern Chamber Music’ in Cracow/Poland in 2002 and the fourth prize in the final round at the 'Internationale Gaudeamus Interpreters Competition for Contemporary Chamber Music’ in Rotterdam/The Netherlands in March 2003.
Soon after, the ensemble started the collaboration with Karin Preslmayr, who specializes in contemporary viola da gamba playing.
The three musicians are currently working with great enthusiasm on increasing the contemporary repertoire for their instrument – in the meantime, more than fifty compositions have been written for, or commissioned by The Roentgen Connection.
Often, the ensemble invites guests (such as composers, instrumentalists, artists of other media) to work together on a realization of programs and ideas.
The performances of The Roentgen Connection are characterized by the special programming and the quality of the musicians; the ensemble has performed successfully at both Dutch and international festivals such as Aqua Musica, November Music, Musica Polonica Nova, Warsaw Composer meeting, Klangzeit Munster, Logos Gent, musik21 Dusseldorf. In addition, masterclasses and concerts were given in Belgrade in 2007.
In this season The Roentgen Connection will be present at the Festival of Polish Music in Cracow, at ‘Klang Koln’ and at a concert series in The Netherlands – all of these performances involving, of course, new compositions. Another aim for 2008 is the recording of the ensemble’s first CD.
Compositions written or arranged for The Roentgen Connection:
| Matthias Konecny | GET HIGH TONIGHT (2001) fl or rec / harps |
| Filip Matuszewski | SHADES ( 2001) traverso, rec, baroque vln / harps |
| Anna Jędrzejewska | SCATTY (2002) rec / harps |
| Anna Jędrzejewska | ELEMENTARIES (2003) harps / viola da gamba / tape |
| Andrea Fontemaggi | I WOULD LIKE TO PLAY PYROTECHNICS (but this is all I've got) (2003) rec / harps |
| Theo Loevendie | KARADI (2003) *** rec / viola da gamba / harps |
| Agata Zubel | CONCERTO GROSSO (2004) rec / baroque violin / harps and choir |
| Matthias Konecny | B.A.H. (2004) * rec / viola da gamba / harps |
| Luca Vanneschi | LONTANO (2005) * rec / viola da gamba / harps |
| Claudio Gabriele | LA VOIX DE L’INVISIBLE III (2005) *** rec / viola da gamba / harps |
| Stefano Giannotti | IL LIBRO DEI CORALI (1996/2005) *** rec / viola da gamba / harps |
| Sławomir Kupczak | KREACJA I (2006) * rec / harps / tape |
| Adrian Foltyn | FLECTROCHORDIUM (2006) * rec / harps / live electronics |
| Weronika Ratusińska | NIMFY (2006) * rec / harps |
| Juan Parra Cancino | s.h.o.c (K) (2006) * rec / viola da gamba / harps / live electronics |
| Roderik de Man | ROENTGEN CONNECTED (2006) * rec / viola da gamba / harps / electronics |
| Guus Janssen | O MISTRIS MYNE (2006) * rec/bass cl / viola da gamba / harps |
| Paul Frankhuizen | COMA (2006) * rec / viola da gamba / harps |
| Frank Agsteribbe | SAUDADE (2006) * rec/bass cl / viola da gamba / harps |
| Georg Hajdu | CORPUS CALLOSUM ( 2006) * rec/bass cl / viola da gamba / harps |
| Erik Janson | TANZ DER RHIZOME ( 2006) * rec / viola da gamba / harps |
| Anna Ikramova | SPIGELBILDER...VERZERRUNGEN ( 2006) * rec / viola da gamba / harps |
| Federico Reuben | REINITA AMARILLA, TERMINA EN EL CHARCO (2006) * rec / viola da gamba / harps |
| Markus Bongartz | TWISTED LOOPS (2007) * rec / viola da gamba / harps |
| Krzysztof Olkuśnik | SONOGRAFIE (2007) * rec / harps |
| Dorota Dywańska | KWIAT OGNIA (2007) * rec / harps |
| Marcel Chyrzyński | BEELDEN (2007) * rec / harps / tape |
| Sławomir Kupczak | KREACJA II (2007) * rec / viola da gamba / harps / electronics |
rec = recorders
harps = harpsichord
* written for The Roentgen Connection
*** arranged for The Roentgen Connection
AXYZ
ZIGGURAT