The Amsterdam-based & originally 'Zeeuwse' composer Catharina Clement (1998) has an affinity with interdisciplinary art forms such as musical theatre and opera. She regularly directs her own pieces and writes her own texts. Moreover, she greatly enjoys writing acoustic music and vocal works. Her music, frequently containing a lyrical, eclectic, and colourful nature, is mostly inspired by personal experiences, psychology, nature, spirituality and fantasy. She has written for renowned musicians such as the Nederlands Blazers Ensemble, HiiiT/Slagwerk Den Haag, Duo Rozemond & Bekkers and members of the Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest and Nederlands Kamerorkest, and her music has been performed at venues as Wonderfeel, Opera Forward Festival (Nationale Opera & Ballet Amsterdam), Aurora Festival, Dag van de Componist and Oskar Back Prijs. She is also active as a singer, performing both classical works as well as her own compositions. Catharina is supervised by Meriç Artaç & Willem Jeths (composition) and Pierre Mak (singing). In 2019, she graduated as a musicologist (MA, UvA), focusing on the 20th-century Dutch musical landscape as well as forbidden music during World War II, music theatre and opera.

About De Hartentuin 

De Hartentuin

In mijn hart zit een tuin
Ik geef hem ruimte licht en tijd
Kaal is het nooit 
Wanneer een kiem ontspruit, omarm ik hem
als een zon die de dageraad kust.
(poem by Cartharina Clement)

De Hartentuin (The Heart Garden) is inspired my own fantasy story, in which two witches obsessively maintain a garden, where trees sprout from which hearts grow. Their obsessiveness results from their conviction, that if the branches from which hearts grow reach high enough, these would touch the sun. If that were to happen, the witches would become immortal. In their longing for immortality, they desperately try to succeed, but they never will.

About Tranen van Goud
Tranen van Goud (Tears of Gold) is inspired by a self-written fantasy story, in which the mighty Cleopatra enters a golden landscape. In the midst of this golden landscape, and with the guidance of her helpers, she performs a water ritual. Although she expects to retrieve something from the ritual that will make her even more powerful, she is confronted with something unexpected.

About Insneeuwing
Dedicated to Miku, Lydia and Pjotr

'It’s dark because you are trying too hard.
Lightly child, lightly. Learn to do everything lightly.
Yes, feel lightly even though you’re feeling deeply.
Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them.

So throw away your baggage and go forward.
There are quicksands all about you, sucking at your feet,
trying to suck you down into fear and self-pity and despair.
That’s why you must walk so lightly.
Lightly my darling,
on tiptoes and no luggage,
not even a sponge bag,
completely unencumbered.'
- Aldous Huxley