Pianist Iris Hond and conductor and artistic leader of Kamerata Zuid Frank Adams are joining forces again for a musical collaboration. After a successful concert tour in 2023, the music of Ludovico Einaudi is again central this time. Iris looks forward to playing with the string orchestra again: ‘Because something happens that you cannot rehearse or plan. Once my piano and Kamerata Zuid come together, a huge energy is created.’ Frank: ‘We actually weren't finished after the previous collaboration. We thought: there is more in this.’

The concert on November 4, 2026, is a reprise, but new pieces will be performed. Iris: ‘It’s not a matter of pulling out the old program and playing it again. Yes, the piano concerto by Einaudi is coming back. We did that three years ago together and it was received so well that we thought: why should we let this go? But I am no longer the same pianist as two years ago.’

For Frank, there is also a creative challenge in this concert. ‘Kamerata Zuid will definitely play Andante & Scherzo by Scriabin and Adagietto by Mahler. Our musicians have developed over the years into an orchestra that has a national impact. For example, we played on May 4 during the National Remembrance Day.’

For the audience, the concert will feel like a new concert according to Iris: ‘The notes are the same, but my relationship with those notes constantly changes. I don’t want to play the same concert twice. I want to rediscover what is in that music. Additionally, we are also bringing my own work, including new work, so the program really gets a completely new breath.’

The piano concerto Domino by Einaudi is the main work of the program. It has been played very little worldwide and is very special for Iris: ‘For me, it is especially special because I have worked a lot on it together with Einaudi himself. It embodies for me everything that makes his music so strong: minimalist, cinematic, and extremely emotional.’

Kamerata Zuid and Iris enhance each other during the concert. Frank: ‘It’s a constant interplay of letting go and listening to each other. In the silence and in the sound.’ Iris: ‘My piano is very direct and personal, and the orchestra throws a huge splash of color and depth against it. Moments on stage arise that you simply cannot create by yourself.’

For Iris, it is nice to share the stage with the eighteen musicians of the orchestra: ‘Kamerata Zuid is incredibly open and curious. There is little feeling of: this is how it should be. That fits me very well. I love to completely let go of boundaries between styles and work purely on musical intuition. At Kamerata Zuid, I feel that same freedom. That inspires a lot!’ For Frank, working with Iris is a great experience: ‘We have a shared vision of how a concert should sound. The intensive preparations and daring of Iris fit perfectly with the string sound.’ The musicians of Kamerata Zuid, led by concertmaster Evelien Japsers and Iris, will share the stage together in November. Iris: ‘We cannot wait to explore the musical boundaries night after night and to create an intense musical experience together.’