Birds of Paradise presents the Dutch premiere of José Gonzalez' latest project A Tiger in Paradise.
// Read moreAfter the already announced concert in the Stevenskerk Nijmegen (15. July), our own festival production with LUWTEN x B.O.X is also booked on September 15 in the Concertgebouw Amsterdam.
// Read moreHow beautiful they were: our Birds of Paradise 2023! This is for those who were there or wanted to be there...
Talk Jlin: on Sunday, March 19, 7:30 PM, American producer Jlin will talk to Remy Alexander about her music
// Read moreToday we are launching the first full Artist Room 2023.
// Read moreDue to a date conflict, Son Lux had to adjust its March tour.
// Read morePlease welcome a new flock of birds for our second installment!
// Read moreNomen est omen: in fact our Mees Joachim is the only permanent resident of the Birds of Paradise nest.
// Read moreLooking back at out very first edition, we can proudly say that during these five days of sonic enchantment, these birds dared to fly and leave the comfort of the nest.
// Read moreWelcome to the mechanic, wondrous universe of Actress, where analog meets digital, and orchestrated meets improvised and coincidental.
// Read moreActress feat. MILYMA, It’s hard to pin down Darren Cunningham: every move the musician makes as Actress is a completely unexpected one. Whether he changes timbre and colour completely, or reaches heights of a satellite in just a whim: the Briton always proves to be prolific in delivering innovative sonical work.
// Read moreFrom 9.-13. March five Birds of Paradise will land in TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht. At Birds of Paradise Festival, five renowned multi-disciplinary artists are offered a residency for one day. During their residency, they get a free pass for creating exclusive, tailor-made performances, start new collaborations and curate an extensive context programme: both off and online. Expect blends of genres and disciplines, profound musical and theatrical experiences at the verge of indie pop, EDM and contemporary classical music.
// Read moreThe shell is broken, the beak is open. Hungry for new experiences, fresh tastes and flights to unfamiliar territories: the birds are ready to fly out. Unknown colours, aesthetically pleasing combinations and new ways of singing: these features make our Birds of Paradise unique. Expect genre and discipline fluidity, exclusive one-off performances and in-depth music experiences: both live and online.
// Read moreBirds of Paradise is a 4 day festival, annually taking place in Utrecht (TivoliVredenburg) and Antwerp (De Singel) in which indie pop, electronic and contemporary classical music blend. Internationally, a vibrant scene of genre bending composers, singer-songwriters, electronic artists, ‘classical musicians’ emerges. Birds of Paradise provides a platform for these artists who get their inspiration on the verge of undiscovered artistic territories, genres and disciplines.
At Birds of Paradise festival, five renowned multi-disciplinary artists are offered a residency for one day. Each day is dedicated to one particular musical innovator: a Bird of Paradise, so to speak. During their residency, they get a free pass for creating exclusive, tailor-made performances, start new collaborations and curate an extensive context programme: both off and online. Their very own musical skills, unique style and connection to socially urgent topics form the basis of the context programme, which will offer audiences the stories behind the works and many in-depth experiences.
Music Miners is het educatieprogramma van Birds of Paradise. In Music Miners maken leerlingen kennis met verschillende nieuwe genres, presentaties van muziek en een ‘andere’ manier om naar muziek te luisteren. In het programma ontdekken leerlingen als ‘miners’ (muziekdelvers) vernieuwende muziek door een reeks korte concerten op ongebruikelijke plekken in de concertzaal te beleven. Aansluitend volgt een workshop. Het ontwikkelde educatiemateriaal is geschikt voor bovenbouwleerlingen in de richtingen vmbo-T, havo, vwo en gymnasium. Het materiaal is zo ontworpen dat het bestaat uit een receptief, actief en reflectief onderdeel en kan in overleg aangepast worden aan een specifieke doelgroep of groepsgrootte.
Music Miners sluit aan bij de vakken CKV en Muziek. We hanteren maximale leerlingenaantallen in verband met de intimiteit van de concerten en benodigde focus tijdens de workshops. Tijdens de concerten is er ruimte voor uitwisseling tussen leerling en artiest.
Music Miners is in verschillende settings beschikbaar. Keuze en planning van artiesten in overleg met programmamanager Remy Alexander: educatie@birdsofparadisefestival.nl
For all questions, comments, suggestions and (constructive) comments: info@birdsofparadisefestival.nl
Communication, marcom: dave@birdsofparadisefestival.nl (Dave Coenen), renee@birdsofparadisefestival.nl (Renée Veenstra)
Press: johan@nieuwsmakelaar.nl (Johan Kloosterboer)
Production: jessica@birdsofparadisefestival.nl (Jessica Dassen)
Music Miners: educatie@birdsofparadisefestival.nl (Remy Alexander en Margriet Broekroelofs)
Address: Gezellestraat 36
5615 HL Eindhoven
0031-610917648
IBAN: NL84 RABO0129508578
BTW: NL 8225.10.972.B01
KVK: 50038702
RSIN: 822510972
The Birds of Paradise Foundation is a charitable organisation registered under Dutch law. Audited accounts for 2021 can be found here.
Frank Veenstra, Artistic and Managing director
Arthur van der Drift, chair
Ester Louwers, treasurer
Rian Brus, secretary
Lucas Maassen, member
Birds of Paradise wants to offer a state of the art international platform on the verge of indie pop music, EDM and contemporary classical music with all sorts of connections to other progressive (stage) disciplines and genres for the benefit of:
Like the most enigmatic of fowl, LAMBERT only shows his most beautiful colours while wearing a Sardinian mask prancing behind the piano. A situation in which even the most trained eye will never spot his most vulnerable expressions: these only will rise up sonically, through the beautiful neoclassical compositions of this Berlin-based Bird of Paradise. Together with Tilburgean guitarist Bram Stadhouders, a musical séance was developed in which German/Italian percussionist Luca Marini brings in the finishing touch. All three at their best when improvising, uncategorized and in the farest corners – that’s where this beautiful, both poppy, electronic and classical, but most of all mysterious performance is born.
Exhibition Lambert Masks
9. March 6.45-10pm TivoliVredenburg, Cloud 9
Scoop! Five ‘Lambert masks’ brought together in a small exhibition on display before and after the concert. Sardinian masks that Lambert uses to help shape his identity(s) as an artist
Music Miners Podcast – Instant Composing
9. March 7.30-8.15pm TivoliVredenburg, Cloud 9
Host Leendert van der Valk will talk to the Berlin neo-classical pianist Lambert and jazz guitarist Bram Stadhouders about how to compose ‘on the fly’. And about how the music came about in their new trio line-up with drummer Luca Marini. The podcast will be recorded live and will be available later on the Birds of Paradise website.
The live podcast is preceded by the screening of the short movie Becoming Lambert.
Lambert Radio show
9. March 9.45pm, TivoliVredenburg, Studio Pandora
Lambert plays his favorite records after the concert during a live radio program from Studio Pandora: the newly built, multifunctional studio at the foyer of the Pandora hall.
TivoliVredenburg, Studio Pandora 9. March, 9.45pm
Lambert plays his favorite records after the concert during a live radio program from Studio Pandora: the newly built, multifunctional studio at the foyer of the Pandora hall.
“Does listening to music help you to find yourself? Or does it offer a perspective that isn’t yours but is still naturally accessible for you? Music you like, might describe the times in life, in which you tried to escape the boredom of being yourself by flirting with fresh identities and perspectives.
Do you find or move away from yourself that way? Whatever it is, it feels healthy!”
Lambert
9. March, 6.45-10pm (on display before and after the concert)
TivoliVredenburg, Cloud 9
A first: five ‘Lambert masks’ brought together in a small exhibition. Sardinian masks that Lambert uses to help shape his identity(s) as an artist. Leading up to the exhibition, below is a photographic interpretation of the masks.
“Identity has more and more become a difficult term to me. People still seem to be thirsty for its definition to find out who they are. Origins and place of birth provide easy answers, while they also lead to exclusion. I wonder if defining what defines someone, also defines what someone else can’t be, according to most definitions you may find for yourself. If that is true, I wonder if these definitions will necessarily bring us together and help us to understand each other. If the never ending search for identity contains a dividing aspect, Lambert is my attempt to overcome this problem. Sounds a bit too much, I know, but maybe Lambert identifies as morally superior. That is maybe one of his weaknesses.”
Lambert
Is being brutally honest an act of violence still?
While the real world is unable to provide the freedom, to be whatever and whoever you want to be, Lambert mirrors a world in which it is no problem.
If you search for short and easy answers, you’ll be disappointed, if you search for answers at all, you can at least find some satisfaction by the process.
Lambert itself is an invention. Lambert exists because someone doesn’t agree with himself.
While you are still searching for authenticity, Lambert can only fulfill your needs by being honest about a staged and scripted way into it.
In the short movie Becoming Lambert we follow the idea of disconnecting composition from its composer. Does it lose its identity that way?
“If you search for short and easy answers, you’ll be disappointed. If you search for answers at all, you can at least find some satisfaction by the process.”
Lambert
Instant Composing (Live)
9. March 7.30-8.15pm
TivoliVredenburg, Cloud 9
The creators of the Birds of Paradise educational program are developing a series of podcasts about different ways of looking at the process of composing. This first episode is about Instant composing. Host Leendert van der Valk will talk to the Berlin neo-classical pianist Lambert and jazz guitarist Bram Stadhouders about how to compose ‘on the fly’. And about how the music came about in their new trio line-up with drummer Luca Marini. The podcast will be recorded live and will be available later on the Birds of Paradise website.
The recording and live presentation of the podcast is preceded by the screening of the short movie Becoming Lambert:
Identity has more and more become a difficult term to me. People still seem to be thirsty for its definition to find out who they are. Origins and place of birth provide easy answers, while they also lead to exclusion. I wonder if defining what defines someone, also defines what someone else can’t be according to most definitions you may find for yourself. If that is true, I wonder if these definitions will necessarily bring us together and help us to understand each other.If the never ending search for identity contains a dividing aspect, Lambert is my attempt to overcome this problem. Sounds a bit too much, I know, but maybe Lambert identifies as morally superior. That is maybe one of his weaknesses.
The album False is questioning the importance of identity in its common definitions. Every track provides another identity to Lambert, another avatar that always leads back to him, but provides freedom in style and musical approaches. False gave Lambert the freedom to be whoever he needed to be for each track.
Reception of music, fan expectations, music journalism or algorithms try to define musical identities. It seems to be important to define who someone else is and it seems to be important to find out for yourself. The question of `what if it is not important?‘ is maybe just another helpless attempt to the same question, but I like to use Lambert for this unsatisfying search for answers.
If the real world is not able to provide the freedom, to be whatever and whoever you want to be, art should at least try to mirror a world in which it is possible. I like to believe that many improvisers know that a connection between human beings is possible to overcome barriers of language, political differences, ethnic origins or country borders. So maybe Lambert identifies as an improviser. Maybe pop culture helped us to connect worldwide through music television. My generation might be more familiar with Nirvana songs and lyrics, than with traditional folk songs of the country they were accidentally born at. Maybe Lambert identifies himself in the first instance to pop culture.
In the short movie Becoming Lambert we follow the idea of disconnecting composition from its composer. Does it lose its identity that way? If you search for short and easy answers, you’ll be disappointed, if you search for answers at all, you can at least find some satisfaction by the process. Again: Lambert doesn’t provide any answers. Maybe he identifies as the unanswered question, or he just doesn’t care so much for it. Questions are fun. Answers are boring. That sounds wrong. False. Guess what Lamberts album before False was called? True! Guess what it didn’t provide? Answers for identity.
Lambert itself is an invention. Lambert exists because someone doesn’t agree with himself.
While the audience is still searching for authenticity, Lambert can only be authentic by being honest about the fact that his ways to connect with his audience are scripted and staged.
Being brutally honest, or just being yourself is a decision you take when you design the picture you want to present of yourself in public. Not hiding from this process is my way of being brutally honest and being myself. Lambert can’t offer much more identity than that. He and me, we are a little bit sorry but very happy about it. Since the creation of Lambert, me and the audience have a lot of fun with each other. Anyway, it might not be that important… ? Just an idea…
I don’t want to spoil the party. It is obvious that this sensitive topic has a meaning to all of us in some way. But since a noisy group of people is getting louder and louder by connecting identity to accidental events like origins, place of birth, ancestry, skin colour or inherited religious practice, I’ve chosen to encourage you and myself to find new routes in the search for identity. Every route needs constant revisioning anyways. Maybe that is why the answers won’t ever be satisfying.
We can only hope that one day this journey will lead us to unification. So far I am not sure that it does. I stay critical. Lambert identifies with being critical. If he is wrong, never mind, he also identifies with being wrong. False. Peace.
Lambert
The Lambert Archives follow potential Lambert identities throughout human history. It is true, you can find traces of Lambertism everywhere. Leading Lambertologists from all over the Globe share their wisdom in the Lambert Archives.
Lambert