BERT DE RYCKE

Instrument:
piano

Studies:
Royal Conservatory of Ghent
(School of Arts, KASK)

Other projects:
Regularly collaborates with
soprano Emma Posman

What is your purpose in music?
What motivates you?
I still have to think about the first
question for a long time ... Anyway,
I really like working with my hands
and playing music opens up rooms in
my head that I wouldn’t otherwise
know. For me it’s an entrance to an
abstract world, sometimes with feelings
I can’t describe so well.

What are your hobbies
and passions besides music?
I run a lot.
I’m also quite passionate about beautiful
or interesting objects, places, situations, ...

Which other genres do you play
or listen to and how do you incor-
porate them in your contemporary
music practice?
I like all interesting music, but of course
that’s a vague answer. Some classical
music I listen to quite fanatically, but I also
like the high, almost superhuman,
intensity level of some electronic music
such as house, breakcore, noise or metal.

What is your most cherished
Nemø anecdote or memory?
I can’t choose well. I remember the
performance of Rosenhöhe Apollo
of Vladimir Gorlinsky in Darmstadt.
I remember crawling through the bushes
with speakers, scratching my legs on
brambles, hiding behind the trees of the
Park Rosenhöhe in Darmstadt, trying to
invisibly perform a sonic spatial effect for
the wandering listeners.

I also look back with a smile to one of
our first major concerts. We had far too
much repertoire on different locations in
the hall, it was all very difficult and so
many things went wrong logistically.
However, I loved the good atmosphere
in the group, the ambition and naivety.
I hope we’re still a bit naive.

Which book are you taking
with you on a longer trip?
I still have these unfinished books next to
my bed:
-Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Americanah
(I recommend!)
-Thomas Mann: Der Zauberberg
-Michael Pye: Antwerp: the glory years
-Cazzie David: No one asked for this
Unfotunately, I read at the pace of a snail.

Tell us a secret that nobody knows
Maybe next time

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