Saskia Venegas Aernouts componeert voor Kronos Quartet

The remarkable American string quartet Kronos Quartet has been championing contemporary music for over 50 years and enjoys performing works by up-and-coming composers. On Thursday 8 May 2025, the quartet will perform the new composition Through their eyes in TivoliVredenburg, in collaboration with Music Meeting. The composition was written by Saskia Venegas Aernouts, who is undergoing a two-year development trajectory as a New Maker at Music Meeting. Pre-sale has started today, via the TivoliVredenburg website.

By facing the deep-rooted pain and unresolved crimes against humanity in her native Spain, Venegas reflects on the loss of empathy and its dangers in her composition Through their eyes.

Mourning rituals, an important part of healing, have been disrupted, leaving families trapped in a generational trauma. “This wound stays open under the surface, because the unresolved grief and anger is passen on from generation to generation. The loss of empathy in society, fueled by fear and hatred, leads to further cruelty and dehumanization of the ‘other’. If we do not learn to see through the eyes of others, history will continue to repeat itself and my country’s past will unfortunately become another country’s future.”

Kronos Quartet
The New York Kronos Quartet, famous for 50 years for its lively performances and daring repertoire, comes to Utrecht at the invitation of TivoliVredenburg and Music Meeting Festival. The string quartet commissions both young and established composers. This time with music by Sun Ra, Terry Riley and a commissioned composition for the emerging Saskia Venegas Aernouts. This sensational quartet once again presents impressive works that will stay with you for a long time.

Kronos Quartet line-up
David Harrington - violin
Gabriela Díaz - violin
Ayane Kozasa - viola
Paul Wiancko - cello

Program:
Sun Ra (arr. Jacob Garchik): Outer Spaceways Incorporated
Terry Riley: Good Medicine from Salome Dances for Peace
Soo Yeon Lyuh: Yessori (Sound from the Past)
Gabriella Smith: Selections from Keep Going
Saskia Venegas: Through their eyes (World Premiere)

This concert evening is a co-production of TivoliVredenburg and Music Meeting. Through their eyes is a production from the talent development trajectory Nieuwe Makers and is made possible by the Performing Arts Fund.

Nieuwe Makers
Saskia Venegas Aernouts is following an intensive talent development trajectory, called Nieuwe Makers, at Music Meeting. In 2024 and 2025, she will work under the auspices of the festival on her artistic and business development and the creation of two productions. David Harrington, violinist and founder of Kronos Quartet, is one of the coaches who will guide her in this. The world premiere of her first work Ortzadar Sugea, a composition for flute, bass clarinet, didgeridoo, percussion and electronics, took place during Music Meeting Festival 2024. The New Makers trajectory is made possible by the Performing Arts Fund.