"lettura del labirinto" - lecture by composer Richard Rijnvos

Join us for an inspirational presentation by Professor Richard Rijnvos, discussing his most recent composition “lettura del labirinto” for harpsichord and video. This 70-minute work depicts a walk through all six neighbourhoods of Venice, starting at the eastern corner of Castello and ending near the western edge of Dorsoduro. Along the way we pause at fifty-five locations and listen to a collection of miniatures for which the composer has created a film, featuring original footage shot in Venice. The serene images are of a contemplative nature, evoking a feeling of getting lost and forever being incarcerated in an urban maze. British virtuoso harpsichordist Jane Chapman will give the UK premiere of “lettura del labirinto” on 21 January 2026 during a MUSICON Concert in the Department of Music.

Speaker

Professor Richard Rijnvos

Professor of Composition in the Music Department at Durham University.

Richard Rijnvos has worked with numerous orchestras around the work, including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Brussels Philharmonic, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo (Brazil), Gyeonggi Philharmonic Orchestra (South Korea) and the London Sinfonietta, to name just a few. Between 2011 and 2027, he served as long-term composer-in-residence with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and is part of a select group of Dutch composers who has been awarded the prestigious Matthijs Vermeulen Prize twice.