Pianist Nikola Meeuwsen won the Grachtenfestival Prize 2022, taking over from Alexander Warenberg as Artist in Residence 2023. Meeuwsen - at twenty years old, the youngest winner ever - was given carte blanche to put together and present a vibrant and diverse programme. And his wishes did not disappoint!
His first wish was to perform together with the other nominees of 2022: clarinetist Gerbrich Meijer and cellist Anton Spronk. In the bicycle tunnel under the Rijksmuseum, the spectacular Rijkspassage, the three musical friends return for a program with our greatest favourites: Mozart and Beethoven. The trio is completed with the internationally acclaimed violist Takehiro Konoe, well known from the Grachtenfestival.
In addition, Nikola wanted to perform together with the previous Artist in Residence, his cousin Alexander Warenberg. And with good friend Shin Sihan. And that's not all. In total, four previous Artists in Residence will come together on stage in the Westerpark for our closing concert on August 20! Nikola Meeuwsen concludes his residency at the Grachtenfestival 2023 with a very special program in which he joins forces with violinist Shin Sihan, Artist in Residence 2021, and cellist Alexander Warenberg, Artist in Residence 2022. Special guest this afternoon is the internationally renowned super talent violinist Noa Wildschut, who, despite being only 22 years old, is already causing a stir worldwide. Nikola, Noa and Alexander play Ravel's beautiful piano trio. This is followed by Schumann's Piano Quintet, one of the most beloved chamber music works ever, which is also joined by violist and international prize winner Takehiroe Konoe. As icing on the cake, Nikola hands over his residency to the winner of the GrachtenfestivalPrijs 2023 (not yet known of course!), and thus the new Artist in Residence for the 2024 edition.
At the 2020 Grachtenfestival, Nikola Meeuwsen, still a teenager at the time, amazed everyone with his talent with an almost legendary recital full of music by Johann Sebastian Bach. This year, as Artist in Residence, he once again brings music by Bach to a concert in Felix Meritis. He continues with Ravel, who based his 'Le Tombeau de Couperin' on baroque suites. A greater contrast with the Hungarian composer Béla Bartók can hardly be imagined for the second half of this recital, in which Nikola joins forces with the young Korean violinist SongHa Choi. Despite her 23 years, she is already internationally showered with prizes. In Bartók's 1st Sonata for violin and piano, innovative rhythms and harmonies tumble over each other, and we see unbelievable dexterity on both instruments combined with almost improvisational spontaneity and a whirlwind of energy: a musical feast by these two young virtuosos!
Finally, we mention his recital in the Concertgebouw. If the Artist in Residence of the Grachtenfestival plays in the Concertgebouw, and has also won the Concertgebouw Competition and the Concertgebouw Young Talent Award, then something very special must be happening. The program includes Schumann's Piano Quartet, considered the pinnacle of all piano quartets composed up to that point and the foundation for all piano quartets since. As if that weren't enough, Nikola Meeuwsen will perform Shostakovich's Piano Quintet. The quintet was so well received at the premiere that Shostakovich won the Stalin Prize with it: the highest possible award in Soviet times. To tame this lion, Nikola's best musical friends come over from Berlin for a true musical spectacle.
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Artist in Residence
31 July 2023
Nikola Meeuwsen in het Parool © Ruud Janssen
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