Tijn Wybenga and Federico Calcagno

Date: Thursday, December 19, 2024
Time: 20:00
Venue: Lab Grounds, ‘s-Gravendijkwal 58B, 3014 EE Rotterdam

Tickets: https://www.grounds.nu/en/grounds-events/culture-unlimited-festival-day-3/

Tijn Wybenga and Federico Calcagno first met in 2019 while performing together in the Brainteaser Orchestra (formerly AM.OK). Their shared passion for improvisation, orchestral textures, and Carnatic music sparked an ongoing creative collaboration. Tijn, who draws inspiration from Federico for his compositions, will debut a new work for piano and bass clarinet, inspired by an improvisation using Japanese scales originally composed for the Koto. Additionally, the duo will present several pieces incorporating live electronics and samples, created by both Federico and Tijn.

About Tijn Wybenga

Tijn Wybenga (b. 1993) is a composer and conductor based in Amsterdam, blending orchestral colors with electronics and improvisation. From 2019 to 2021, Tijn was Artist in Residence at the BIMHUIS jazz club, tasked with exploring and composing the sound of 21st-century Amsterdam. He leads the orchestra AM.OK, which he founded in 2016 after graduating from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. Their albums Live @ BIMHUIS and Brainteaser have been praised as “vibrant future jazz” by Dutch media.

Tijn’s music draws on a wide range of influences, including classical, hip-hop, jazz, and world music from South Africa, Turkey, and India. In recent years, live electronics have become increasingly central to his work. His compositions have been performed at major festivals, including the North Sea Jazz Festival, and by ensembles like the Metropole Orkest and the Nederlands Blazers Ensemble. In 2018, Tijn won the prestigious Rogier van Otterloo Award for best young composer/conductor.

About Federico Calcagno

Federico Calcagno (b. 1995) is a clarinetist, bass clarinetist, composer, and educator from Milan, Italy, now active across Italy and the Netherlands. Recognized as one of the most exciting clarinetists of his generation, Federico leads several ensembles, including the Federico Calcagno Octet, Liquid Identities, and Piranha. He has released eight albums, including From Another Planet (2019), Liquid Identities (2020), and Mundus Inversus (2024).

Federico’s work bridges jazz, classical, and experimental music. He has performed at the Gaudeamus Festival with NEUE (New European Ensemble), collaborating with Indian percussionist B. C. Manjunath. A graduate of the Amsterdam Conservatory, Federico also teaches jazz at the Bologna Conservatory and has lectured on advanced rhythm techniques at the Milan and Pavia Conservatories.