Good Evening and Welcome!

It’s wonderful to be here and see all of you.

What a beautiful setting for tonight’s performance and for spending these moments together!

You just heard ‘Veritas’, one of two brand new compositions that are premiering here tonight. Opening with its distinctly Central Asian tones and ethereal vocalizations that hint at a time before time, its mood shifts to one of awe at the fiery majesty of creation. The next new work that follows, ‘Karitas’, evokes the pure love that flows through the heart of all things. It’s the very love that’s found in abundance in every note and every word of the different traditions heard here.

When Paths Meet was born of a vision. A vision where multiple musical traditions lead us to a singular unity, a unity that underlies the complex and very beautiful diversity that is this world of creation.

What you will hear tonight is just the beginning of a conversation. And that conversation will continue long after our individual songs grow silent. The traditional instruments on stage tonight come from lands stretching from China to Spain, and our very talented choral group comes from right here in Amsterdam. The music has its origins at times in Persian dastgahs, at times in Azerbaijani mughams, at times in Andalusian melodies. And at other times the clear strains of early Western choral music are front and centre. Lyrics come from mystical writings of luminaries across centuries – from Germany, Türkiye, and the Arab-speaking lands. And you’ll hear what may be surprising new arrangements of some of my well-known pieces.

Truly talented musicians move with ease between interpreting, improvising and creating. It’s such an honour for me to work with the artists on stage tonight. They've understood my vision and have taken my compositions, made them their own, and given them life in this moment.

I’m proud to introduce Cappella Amsterdam.

The Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra

The extraordinary maestros who have travelled to join me here.

I offer them my profound thanks.

The voice of each group is distinct; each articulates its own cultural ethos and emanates the artistic fragrance of its own world. Their unique voices rise and fall, giving way to one another, until an understanding at the deepest level is reached. Beauty, and the love that pervades it, is indivisible, however different may be the ways it’s expressed in different lands. To fully realize that indivisibility is to arrive at this place of meeting.

My deepest thanks to you, the audience. By your presence here you are a key part of this artistic cultural dialogue. It’s you who keeps the beating heart of this music alive.

Thank you so very much for being here. Enjoy the rest of the performance!