[Bryce Dessner]

You might know Bryce Dessner for his moving work as guitarist and composer for rock outfit The National, but his career as an independent ‘classical’ composer is developing rapidly. The classical path brought Dessner together with icons such as Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Nico Muhly and Caroline Shaw, but also with pop phenomena in the likes of Bon Iver, Paul Simon and Sufjan Stevens. This Birds of Paradise performance will mark the first-ever programme bringing together three of his concerto’s: Trombone Concerto, St. Carolyn by the Sea and Concerto for two pianos. The event concludes with the world premiere of a suite from the Complete Mountain Almanak: a song cycle from Norwegian singer-songwriter Rebekka Karijord for whom Jessica Dessner wrote the lyrics and Bryce orchestrated the arrangements.

Dessner will play guitar during this night, for St. Carolyn by the Sea, master of trombone Jörgen van Reijen for the Trombone Concerto and the world-famous piano duo Katia and Marielle Labeque for Concerto for two pianos. Rebekka Karijord and the French singer-songwriter Pauline de Lasssus will join on vocals for Complete Mountain Almanak. The Belgian Casco Phil is their solid orchestral partner tonight.

Co-production: Perpodium, with support from the Belgian Federal Government’s tax shelter and Cronos Invest