Bassklarinettenfestival

Rudi Mahall - bcl Lothar Ohlmaeier - bcl Frank Gratkowski - bcl Anat Cohavi - bcl Fiet Schouten - bcl

The Basklarinet Festijn(Festival) is a biennial festival dedicated entirely to the bass clarinet and current music. In 2025/2026 it will be going into its fifth round.

The festival is initiated and directed by the Amsterdam musicians Fie Schouten and Tobias Klein, whose shared passion is the bass clarinet - a fascinating, versatile instrument that shines both as a soloist and in an ensemble and can be described as a musical chameleon with its wide sound spectrum.

For the Berlin Edition Schouten and Klein work with four renowned Berlin bass clarinetists. The focus is on concerts with solo, duo, trio and ensemble ensembles, with improvisation playing a central role as a creative link.

Video from the previous Basklarinet Festijn, December 18, 2022, Bimhuis Amsterdam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjeCJS4XU_Y&t=3849s

Featured are:
Rudi Mahall, a real authority on the bass clarinet, known for his distinctive style between jazz and free improvisation.
Frank Gratkowski, versatile bass clarinetist and saxophonist, who has been heard in numerous bands and projects for decades.
Anat Cohavi, active in Berlin since 2006, moves between free improvisation, electro-acoustic and contemporary music, often in interdisciplinary contexts with dance and film.
Lothar Ohlmeier, long-time musical companion of Tobias Klein, among others. in the quartet Dalgoo – their joint duo album Left Side Right was released in 2023.
Fie Schouten herself is a distinguished specialist in contemporary music and a sought-after improviser.