East meets West (summer 2022)

5 augustus 2022

On August 5 and 6, 2022, Jong Metropole played a program in which the music from the Western music library came together with the music from the Arab tradition, among others. The members of Jong Metropole, the best students of the Dutch Conservatories, were conducted by Tom Cohen in August.

Aftermovie Jong Metropole op 5 augustus in Bloemendaal

It was a beautiful summer evening on August 5, when nearly 400 visitors were treated to an energetic and cheerful orchestra in the idyllic open air theater Caprera. The conductor easily conveyed his optimism to the musicians and the audience. On Saturday evening, August 6, a sold-out Former Broadcast Station Radio Kootwijk was the place where the young talent, over 50 orchestra members, showed their best side. Unfortunately the pre-programmed concert in the Zuiderparktheater on Sunday August 7 was cancelled due to a double booking in the park in The Hague.

East and West with Tom Cohen

Israeli conductor Tom Cohen is classically trained, but steeped in the music of North Africa and Arab countries. He combines Western musicians with Arab instrumentalists to create a new musical language 'Levant Music'. In Jong Metropole, conservatory talents from both the classical and jazz departments come together. This summer they were joined by students of the world music department of Codarts Conservatory Rotterdam on ud, tar, zurna and duduk for a real East meets West-feeling. It became an exciting mix of eastern and western music, charged with the energy of the young top talent of Dutch soil led by the inventor of a new musical language 'Levant Music'!

Iran and Iraq on one stage

Many worlds come together in Jong Metropole. First of all, of course, classical music and jazz music. A unique combination in orchestral settings. This summer brought West and East together in a new musical language. But because many international students study at Dutch conservatories, the Jong Metropole musicians also come from all over the world. Conductor Tom Cohen used the following words about it during the concert: "Another amazing thing about this project, besides all the musical wonders, is the fact that - in order for the next soloist and myself to meet and make music together we have to travel from our homelands all the way here... Now I'm not that naive to think that this concert is going to bring peace in our region of the world any closer. But I know for a fact that whoever experiences this concert knows as a fact - if we had peace - how many amazing collaborations like this we could have had."

Bernard van Rossum

During Jong Metropole 2022, saxophonist, composer, conductor and arranger Bernard van Rossum won the Rogier van Otterloo Award. This incentive prize of the Prince Bernhard Culture Fund - in memory of composer and conductor Rogier van Otterloo - consists of a composition assignment for Jong Metropole in the spirit of Rogier van Otterloo and a cash prize of ten thousand euro, made possible by the Freek and Hella de Jonge Fund.

Bernard van Rossum receiving the prize from the hands of Freek and Hella de Jonge (photo by Pieter Kunnen)

Musician and composer Bernard van Rossum (1980), known for his lived-in saxophone sound and catchy compositions, receives the Rogier van Otterloo Award for his brilliant playing and for his exceptional compositions for large ensembles. Jury chairman and conductor and composer Jong Metropole Tom Cohen said: "Composing is one talent, but focusing on large ensembles is another dimension and requires different skills. Bernard has added a truly new sound to the conventional Big Band repertoire with his Flamenco Big Band. He has also written for other elaborate ensembles, and his solid training, beautiful playing, and the mileage he has already accumulated as a composer and arranger are clearly audible and deserve recognition." Read more.