I was in Amsterdam last week and went to a great concert of the Amstel Quartet with guest Niti-Ranjan Biswas on tablas. The theme of the evening was the inspiration of Indian music – ragas, Bollywood music, Satyajit Ray’s music. There was a great atmosphere in that beautiful, historic hall (Felix Meritis). It amazes me what a thriving audience there is in Holland for creative music.
The Amstel Quartet is a very rigorous saxophone quartet coming from a classical background but playing a range of musical styles. My husband Jorrit Dijkstra played along for Shruut (clip above), a piece they commissioned from him that includes a plastic Shruti box droning along with the live music.
We also enjoyed a couple of weeks of biking over the canals and through the charming streets of Amsterdam (a bit too often in the pouring rain, I must admit). How I wish more of America’s cities were so bike-friendly.