Birdsong: nature’s most elusive song has been a source of inspiration for musicians for centuries. In God’s Own Musicians #3, the sounds of birds not only enrich contemporary classical music, but also contribute to the accessibility of a genre that is sometimes perceived as complex and unruly. In this sense, the birds and bird sounds in the program serve as both an inspiration for composers Seung-Won Oh and Jonathan Harvey and a guide for the listeners. “Twenty loudspeakers hang above the audience, giving you the real feeling that birds are flying through the hall. The birds come to life and become one with the ensemble, transforming the hall into a beautiful aviary,” says conductor Ulrich Pöhl.

Together with the Utrecht ensemble Insomnio, he presents two brilliant pieces in which birdsong plays the leading role. Vanapriya, Beloved Forest by Korean composer Seung-Won Oh was premiered by Insomnio in 2020. Additionally, you will hear the spectacular Bird Concerto for ensemble and live electronics by the Englishman Jonathan Harvey, a beautiful tribute to Olivier Messiaen, the composer in whose oeuvre birds are omnipresent. Harvey accomplished a tour de force by forging piano, ensemble, live electronics, and recordings of forty Californian songbirds into music of unearthly beauty.

Insomnio complements the program with a new work by Jacob ter Veldhuis (JacobTV), born in Westerlee, Groningen, known for his accessible, energetic, and often idiosyncratic music. For God’s own musicians #3, he draws inspiration from the craziest, noisiest bird: humans.