Celebration Chamber Orchestra
Dear friends, colleagues and music lovers,
I would like to introduce you to an important musical adventure of mine. For this personal highlight in my career as a musician I kindly ask for your support:
For many years I have been developing a way to express my musical ideas through instrumental combinations that extend the realm of pure jazz instrumentation. This is most evident in my work for various projects involving writing for string-quartet and jazz band. I have been able to release this music on several CD’s, including a very dear collaboration with the great Lee Konitz in 2004. I have been directing groups with strings for over 20 years, all of which has culminated in the wonderful group Chamber9, which I have been leading since 2019.
It has always been a dream to expand this group with woodwinds, and my confidence in writing worthwhile music for this colorful combination of instruments has grown over the years through my extensive studies in arranging and composing, studying the music I love, to write and perform the music I love to hear.
About two years ago, I began writing a set of around 12 arrangements for a 14-member group that includes my beloved Chamber9, expanded by a Woodwind Quintet (Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet and French Horn).
To perform this music for the first time, I organised a concert in December 2023, for which I was able to secure the collaboration of an amazing group of woodwind players with a huge amount of experience and reputation in the European music world.
The result was wonderful, both musically and personally, and through the musicians’ encouragement the plan grew to record this material. Why? Because I think I can say something meaningful through this setting and with these performers, whatever it is that we experience through music.
“Profoundness in lightness” has always been my motto, and I’m confident that I can achieve this goal through my knowledge and feel for music. The pieces I choose to arrange are a collection of compositions that have accompanied my life and have important personal meaning to me, for example through musicians I’ve worked with or have been inspired by; in general pieces that celebrate and honour the amazing history of Jazz in all its ways. In addition to focus on the music, it has always been important to me to create a working atmosphere which is based on the individual strengths of the musicians in an open, independent and creative workflow. I rely solely on the personal taste and interpretive abilities of the musicians and I feel that this is the optimal way to let them shine and ultimately let the music shine. Music, like no other form of communication, is at its best a manifestation of the democratic process, relying on individuality, collaboration and equality, and allowing this to flourish through trust and love, love for the music and love for the human process and experience.
I am convinced that what we produce will be a reflection of these ideas and will entertain as well as create deeply involved music that can be enjoyed. Music that transports us to an imaginary world for its own sake and the pursuit of beauty.
I believe that in terms of craft and imagination I am at a peak in my life, I am convinced that the result of the recording will show this, first I need your support on my creative journey to realise this musical endeavour.
So I would like to kindly ask you for a donation for this Celebration Chamber Orchestra via a crowdfunding campaign that I have set up and that can be reached via this link:
The donated money will be used solely to pay for the recording, the studio and technicians and of course to be able to pay the musicians a decent fee that with all the love and work involved can anyway only be of symbolic value. I am extremely grateful that I am surrounded by this group of like minded and dedicated spirits who seem to enjoy playing and performing my music and make it sound beautiful.
Please help me realize my new album with a chamber-ensemble by helping me finance the costs of the studio and musicians, donate now!
Thank you very much for your attention and possible donation to make contemporary music being heard!
Axel Hagen december 2024
The Musicians of the Celebration Chamber Orchestra are:
Sanna van Vliet – Vocals
Pauline Oostenrijk – Oboe
Janire de Paz Rivas -French Horn
Remi Kazukauskas- Flute
Mascha Hoogendoorn – Bass Clarinet
Jan Smit – Clarinet
Axel Hagen – Guitar,arr.
Víctor Flores – Violin
Kardelen Buruk – Viola
Joan Terol Amigo – Drums
Ángela Moya – Violin
Michael Arlt – Guitar
Thomas W.Andersen – Bass
Cèlia Torres – Cello
