Netherlands Chamber Choir
Lera Auerbach conductor
Yang Yang Cai piano

The (Jewish) Austrian-American composer Lera Auerbach, who was born in the Soviet Union, is turning 50 and she is celebrating with the Nederlands Kamerkoor. With the world premiere of a new extensive piece by her for piano and choir: Flights of the Angakok, the composer also makes her debut as a conductor with the choir.

The Nederlands Kamerkoor has previously performed highly enthusiastic premieres of Auerbach’s hand: 72 Angels and Goetia: in umbra lucis. Her musical idiom is influenced by her own personal background: from Russian masters such as Rachmaninov and Shostakovich to Jewish traditional music.

For her next major choral work, Lera Auerbach drew on personal experiences.

Her visit to the Arctic and meeting the indigenous people touched her deeply. Flights of the Angakok thus became an urgent work, which strongly refers to the current climate crisis.

Flights of the Angakok is a sequel to Lera’s fourth symphony, titled Arctica, which had its world premiere in 2019 at the Kennedy Center in Washington.

Auerbach was inspired for Flights of the Angakok by the mythical Inuit shaman – the Angakok. In the work, the pianist plays the role of the shaman, while the choir sings about the spirits of nature (light/sun, wind, water) in a ritual-like song.

With this new extensive piece, the composer makes her Dutch debut as a conductor. The young Dutch top talent Yang Yang Cai will play the piano part.

Concert calendar

  • Thu. 12 October 2023 20:15

    Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ - Amsterdam

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  • Sat. 21 October 2023 21:00

    Amare - Den Haag

    Dit concert vindt plaats op de 50e verjaardag van Lera Auerbach en is het muzikale hoogtepunt van het Lera Auerbach Festival dat in Den Haag plaatsvindt.

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  • Tue. 24 October 2023 20:30

    TivoliVredenburg - Utrecht

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  • Thu. 26 October 2023 20:00

    Wilminktheater en Muziekcentrum - Enschede

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