Harmonies of the Ear

Dalla Memoria al Futuro

(From Memory to the Future)

Emlyn Stam — Viola

Prof. Marcel Cobussen — Spoken Reflections

📅 Monday, 6 April 2026
🕓 16:00
📍 Huis van de Buurt Stevenshof
Trix Terwindtstraat 4
2331 GW Leiden
🎟 Free Admission

Presented by Culture Unlimited Festival

About the Concert

Harmonies of the Ear – Dalla Memoria al Futuro is a contemporary solo viola concert performed by Emlyn Stam.

The programme offers a musical journey from the mid-twentieth century to the present day, exploring memory, movement, rhythm, and resonance. Each work invites the audience into a refined and attentive listening experience.

This concert is not simply a recital — it is an exploration of how we listen.

Music & Reflection

Throughout the afternoon, music alternates with short spoken reflections by Prof. Marcel Cobussen (Leiden University).

Rather than explaining the music technically, Prof. Cobussen opens another dimension of listening. His reflections explore:

When does sound become music?
How do we truly listen to the city around us?
What happens when we become aware of our own hearing?

Drawing on his research into sound, everyday noise, and the rhythms of public space, he invites the audience to reconsider listening itself — to hear not only the viola, but also space, silence, and memory.

Each musical section is followed by a brief reflection of approximately five minutes, creating a structure that allows space for absorption, thought, and renewed attention.

This format was successfully presented in Rotterdam in 2024 and was praised for its clarity, accessibility, and human scale.

Performer

Emlyn Stam — Viola

Emlyn Stam is a Dutch violist active as a soloist, chamber musician, and artistic researcher. His work focuses on twentieth- and twenty-first-century repertoire and explores the expressive and physical possibilities of the viola. He collaborates closely with composers and researchers and is known for presenting contemporary music in ways that emphasise presence, depth of listening, and audience connection.

Programme

Works by:

Igor Stravinsky — Elegy (1944)
Kate Moore — Tarantella (2016)
Peter Maxwell Davies — The Door to the Sun (1975)
Federico Gardella — Consolation per viola (2020)
Nadim Hosni — Rada I & II
György Ligeti — Sonata for Solo Viola (1991–1994)

All works are concise (approximately 2–10 minutes), creating contrast and variety while keeping the audience fully engaged.