North Sea Round Town, the fringe festival of NN North Sea Jazz, presents innovative new formats this year and has revamped several successful programmes. As the city is accustomed to from the festival, there are many concerts spread across the entire city. To be precise, 350 concerts at 125 locations! And a lot of them are free to attend. A festival warm-up is scheduled for Thursday, 20 June.
Visit the official North Sea Round Town website for the complete event programme and information regarding tickets.
North Sea Round Town's artist in Focus 2024
This year’s Artist in Focus: Italian bassist Alessandro Fongaro. Fongaro, an emerging talent, is given a unique platform to showcase his artistic growth through a series of curated projects from June 27 to July 14. This opportunity allows him to present his dream collaborations and creative innovations to an international audience.
Kick-off with North Sea Round Town Lab
Traditionally, the Artist in Focus begins with the annual North Sea Round Town Lab, held at Boerderij Driebergen. Fongaro collaborates with actress and vocalist Carmen van Mulier and guitarist Jelle Roozenburg, spending three days creating new music. Their fresh perspectives on improvised music will be showcased on June 5, as a preview to Fongaro’s upcoming projects. “This is not your average residency, and I’m so excited about this invitation,” Fongaro states. “I’ve been given so much room for creativity, for experimenting with new spaces and concepts.”
Hunters in the Snow: Audiovisual Storytelling
Thursday, June 27, Cinerama
Inspired by Pieter Bruegel’s Renaissance painting "The Hunters in the Snow," Fongaro's project delves into elements of his Italian childhood and his years in The Netherlands. He examines works by photographers Giacomelli, Scianna, Koudelka, Brandt, and directors such as Tarkovsky and Tarr. Drawing from various musical traditions, Fongaro composed ten themes for an ensemble, including violinists Pablo Rodriguez and George Dumitriu, violist Yanna Pelser, and cellist Thomas van Geelen, along with saxophonist Nicolò Ricci, pianist Marta Warelis, and drummer Jim Black. This project is a highlight of his residency, offering a unique composition for the ensemble.
Omaggio alle Rose
Sunday, June 30, Boerderij Driebergen
Inspired by renowned Italian singer-songwriters De Gregori, De Andrè, Dalla, and Battisti, Fongaro presents original compositions and new arrangements of works by these artists. He collaborates with singer Beatrice Sberna, guitarist-singer Gabriel de Oliveira, and drummer Giovanni Iacovella to bring these classics to life.
Gleason's Dance
Sunday, July 7, Boxing school Maaskracht
Boxing and jazz have a long history together. Fongaro, a boxing enthusiast, collaborates with Brussels Jazz Orchestra’s Bo van der Werf and celebrated drummer Sun Mi Hong for this dynamic performance.
Pietre
Friday, July 5, WORM
In collaboration with Space is the Place and WORM, Fongaro presents Pietre, a contemporary jazz piece inspired by love, friendship, and personal connections. This project features Sun-Mi Hong, saxophonists Jesse Schilderink and Nicolò Ricci.
Laboratorio de Suono
Wednesday, July 10, Batavierhuis
Concluding Fongaro’s Artist in Focus tour is the "Laboratory of Sound" at Batavierhuis. Fongaro, with fellow musicians Mark Schilders and Lucija Gregov, will explore new musical ideas in a day-long session, culminating in an evening performance. “This venue means so much to me. I have created so much here, and I really wanted to get the rest of the ‘house’ involved in this project.”
