Foyer Matinee: Heleen Van Haegenborgh & Christian Mendoza

BETWEEN JAZZ AND BACH

compositions by Bach/Kurtág and own work (quatre mains)

This duo of jazz pianist Christian Mendoza and pianist Heleen Van Haegenborgh is a project between contemporary, classical and jazz. Kurtág's transcriptions of Bach's music for piano four hands gave him the inspiration to make his own music, a mix of compositions and improvisations.

The music of the Ghent pianist Heleen Van Haegenborgh varies somewhere between minimalism and contemporary music. . El Negocito Records recently released Signaux + Regina, on which she plays a dialogue between prepared piano and foghorns. Jazz musician Christian Mendoza is no stranger to the Belgian jazz scene with his many adventurous projects and his own quintet. He also likes to explore the similarities between jazz and other music genres. A collaboration between the two was written in the stars.

At the request of the Drongen festival Muziek in de Kleurfabriek, they sat down at the keyboard together for the first time in the summer of 2015. Kurtág's Bach arrangements formed the starting point. As a duo, they seemed to like this music and inspired them to create joint compositions.

Sunday morning, 11 am. First we strolled around and bought a colorful bouquet during the weekly flower market on the Kouter. Then into the Handelsbeurs. With a glass of sparkling wine in hand, music lovers of all kinds look for the best spot. And then: music. Until the last notes sound. Another successful Foyer Matinee.