The Dutch Basklarinet Festijn is an event featuring the bass clarinet in contemporary composed and improvised music.
We organise concerts, education, commission new works and bring international specialists together.
About
In 2014, Schouten co-founded the Basklarinet Festijn with Tobias Klein, initially to celebrate Harry Sparnaay’s 70th birthday. The biennial travelling production-festival (2014, 2016, 2018, 2020-2022, 2025) celebrates and expands the bass clarinet repertoire through contemporary composed and improvised music, featuring concerts, workshops, and commissions. Between 2014 and 2025, 53 concerts and 15 workshops/masterclasses were successfully organised. Moreover, 22 new pieces were commissioned and performed.
Direction: Fie Schouten & Tobias Klein
Organised by Stichting To be Sung
You can read more information on substack here or visit the website bassclarinet.nl
Basklarinet Festijn 2025 - 5th edition
The 5th edition in 25-26 was coloured by a cultural dialogue with France and Italy and the young generation had a strong presence.
LINE UP MUSICIANS
bass clarinet:
Femke van den Bergh, Federico Calcagno (IT), Stefanie Gardner (USA), Frank Gratkowski (DE), Tobias Klein, Lothar Ohlmeier (DE), Shabnam Parvaresh (DE/IR), Fie Schouten, Germaine Sijstermans, Chris Watt (NL/AUS), Luis Miguel Aguilar, Brennan Hamilton-Smith, Rudi Mahall, Anat Cohavi
&
cello: Katharina Gross (NL/AT), Vincent Courtois (FR); drums, percussion: Sofia Borges (DE/PT), Thomas Jaspers, Rie Watanabe (DE/JP), Aleksander Sever; voice: Pierre Baux (FR), saxophone: Sophie Hassfurther (AT), piano/synt: Lida Brouskari (NL/GR), electronics: Kerwin Rolland (FR), organ: Silvia Castillo-Sparnaay, Bart van Dongen
NEW COMPOSITIONS: Roberto Bonati (IT), Tobias Klein, Philip Przybylo (NL/CA/PL), Bianca Diana Popa (RO)
Basklarinet Festijn 2020-2022 - 4th edition
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LINE UP MUSICIANS
Bass clarinet: Fie Schouten, Jelte Althuis, Tobias Klein, Oguz Büyükberber, Rudi Mahall, Naama Reuven, Evan Ziporyn, Louis Sclavis
Percussion: Ches Smith, Rie Watanabe, Tatiana Koleva, Bart de Vrees
&
Aki Takase piano, Henny Heikens orgel, Eva van de Poll cello
NEW COMPOSITIONS: Hanna Kulenty (2bcl, vlc, vibraphone), Ruud Roelofsen (bcl, perc, vlc), Evan Ziporyn (2bcl, vlc, vibraphone), Bart de Vrees (2bcl, vibraph, organ), Tobias Klein (2bcl, 2perc), Oguz Büyükberber (2bcl, 2perc), Georges Aperghis (2bcl, perc, Dutch premiere)
IN: Amsterdam, Utrecht, Tilburg, Leiden, Rotterdam, Groningen, Nijmegen, Haarlem, Den Bosch, Groningen, Hilversum & Turkey (Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir)
Basklarinet Festijn 2018 - 3rd edition
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LINE UP MUSICIANS 2018
Bass clarinet: Louis Sclavis (F), Tobias Klein, Germaine Sijstermans, Fie Schouten, Jelte Althuis, Oğuz Büyükberber, Joris Roelofs, Carl Rosman (D), Steffen Schorn (D), Marij van Gorkom
&
Dominique Pifarély – violin, Vincent Courtois, Eva van de Poll – cello, Beltane Ruiz Molina, Florentin Ginot – double bass, Keiko Shichijo – piano, Claron McFadden, Kristina Fuch – soprano, voice, Nora Mulder – organ, Jeroen Kimman, Anton Goudsmit – guitar, Johnny Chang – viola
NEW COMPOSITIONS: Michael Finnissy Tussen Rede en Gevoel (2bcl, vlc, cb), Georgia Nicolaou Black Sand (2bcl, vlc), Frederik Neyrinck 4 Fragments (bcl, cb), Tobias Klein Pore (3 cbcl, organ) 37FERN (2bcl, 2voice), Oğuz Büyükberber 37FERN (2bcl, 2voice), Carmen Vanderveken Jeux (bcl, vlc, gt)
IN: Amsterdam, Groningen, Nijmegen, Tilburg, Utrecht, Maastricht, Den Bosch, Leuven (B)
Basklarinet Festijn 2016 - 2nd edition
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LINE UP MUSICIANS 2016
Armand Angster (F), Michael Riessler (D), Duo Petra Stump & Heinz-Peter Linshalm (AT), Stephan Vermeersch (B)
From the Netherlands: Jelte Althuis, Fie Schouten, Tobias Klein, Laura Carmichael, Marij van Gorkom, Oguz Büyükberber
NEW COMPOSITIONS 2016
Ig Henneman Featherlight Monkeys (bcl trio), Vanessa Lann Lather, rinse repeat (bcl 4tet), Martin Brandlmayr Utopia Parkway (bcl trio), Tobias Klein Rant (10 bcl), Héctor Moro Eulysia (8 bcl)
IN: Amsterdam, Utrecht, Groningen, Nijmegen, Enschede, Maastricht, Heerlen, Antwerpen (B)
Basklarinet Festijn 2014 - 1st edition
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LINE UP MUSICIANS 2014
Harry Sparnaay, Ernesto Molinari (CH), Claudio Puntin (D), Steffen Schorn (D),
Jelte Althuis, Fie Schouten, Tobias Klein, Ainhoa Miranda, Laura Carmichael, Oguz Büyükberber
NEW COMPOSITION: Tobias Klein Too dark to read (9 bcl)
IN: Amsterdam, Groningen, Den Bosch
2012 Amsterdam at Bethaniënklooster.
Edition ‘0’ titled ‘Zinderend Laag’ with Harry Sparnaay and 7 former students of him. Organized in collaboration with Huib Ramaer.