Saskia Lankhoorn piano, Amstel Saxophone Quartet: Remco Jak soprano sax, Olivier Sliepen alto sax, Bas Apswoude tenor sax, Ties Mellema baritone sax, Matangi Quartet: Maria-Paula Majoor & Daniel Torrico Menacho violins, Karsten Kleijer viola, Arno van der Vuurst cello

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On his debut release on Navona Records, INNER MUSIC, composer Ruud van Eeten presents three works that highlight the refinement and control evident in his compositional style. Throughout the four movements of 'Piano Quintet No. 1', the composer adds no excess; every note has a role. Yet the piece exudes emotion, particularly the second movement which develops a deep sense of longing. 'Punctus Einz', based on Bach's 'The Art of Fugue', builds layers of textures, ranging from punctuated rhythms to fluid melodic lines, which are heightened by the timbres of the saxophone quartet. 'Jhero' pulls inspiration from a painting by the famous Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch, representing three stages from human's divine history: Heaven, 'the Garden of Earthly Delight,' and Hell. Respectively, the first stage is slow, meditative, and brooding; the second is repetitive and sensual; and the third is heavy, accented, and fleeting.

A native of the Netherlands, Ruud van Eeten studied orchestral conducting and music theory at the Brabants Conservatory of Tilburg and received his Master's in Orchestral Conducting at the Royal Conservatory of the Hague. He has been conductor of the Limburg Symphony Orchestra, Musikkollegium Winterthur, the Royal Flemish Orchestra, and more.