Nuït

FRIDMAN AND VAN VEEN FIND EACH OTHER IN THEIR DEEPEST BEING.The adventurous cellist Maya Fridman (1989) does not shy away from any challenge. In August 2020 she met pianist and conductor Maarten van Veen, with whom she felt an immediate musical click. Van Veen is a conductor with the Doelen Ensemble (Rotterdam, NL) and known for duo piano playing with his brother Jeroen van Veen and Ralph van Raat. With the latter he recently recorded the latest works of John Adams. Something magical happened between Fridman and Van Veen and both felt simultaneously that something unique was developing between them. They had deep conversations and came up with the extraordinary idea of recording a completely improvised recital with 'Nuit', the Ancient Egyptian goddess of the universe, as the central theme. One of Van Veen's passions is to look at the starry sky at night with his telescope, something he also managed to make Fridman enthusiastic about. A great experience, which would become the starting point for an exceptionally inspired musical duet, in which both musicians search for and ultimately find each other in their deepest essence. Months later, Fridman and Van Veen are still stunned at how they managed to impact each other. "We were really open to each other and didn't know beforehand if it would work out," notes Van Veen. "The great acoustics of Schiedam's Westvestkerk (NL) also played an important and inspiring role. What we came up with on the spot, we really got back. The result is fairy-like, almost mystical music in which we seek absolute peace. We felt a real connection with everything, the elements touched us. Improvising led to creative infinity; anything was possible.