HEAR/HERE: music for a new generation

Afterwards, the bar is open, the DJ is ready and you can hit the dance floor in Café Caat, the theatre café of the Stadsgehoorzaal and the new hotspot of Leiden. Whether you come with your partner or your friends (or bring yourself on a solo date!): HEAR\\HERE guarantees a great night out.

This opening night will be kicked off in style by the Norwegian-Dutch jazz formation Beiggja, the latest project of saxophonist, composer and bandleader Kika Sprangers.

Beiggja

In the winter of 2024 Norwegian pianist Kjetil Mulelid, Dutch saxophonist Kika Sprangers, bassist Mats Eilertsen (ECM Recording Artist) and drummer Per Oddvar Johansen (ECM Recording Artist) gathered just outside Oslo at Per Oddvar’s house, nestled in a snowy forest. Surrounded by the bright, quiet stillness of the landscape, they set up to play music. “Everybody brought some tunes, we pressed REC and played for two days …” What began as a spontaneous meeting blossomed into the debut album ‘Morning’.

“None of the takes were the same. A ‘take two’ usually has the tendency to refer to ‘take one’, especially when the first takesounded good. However, with Mats and Per Oddvar every take went their own unique way. The interplay was amazing and felt really natural and organic. Although we did not yet know each other that well, we were able to closely follow each other’s musical steps. You hear that on the album. That spontaneity and curiosity.”

Afterparty with DJ Katayoun

Afterwards, the bar at Café Caat will be open. Enjoy a drink, chat, and dance to the global beats of DJ Katayoun.

Katayoun (Amsterdam, Netherlands) is a DJ/selector, sound archivist, and curator focusing on Iran’s vibrant sonic landscape. On the dance floor, her selections interweave archival depth with a painterly sensitivity to rhythm and texture, revealing hidden and meaningful stories within the music. In her sets, she connects Iran’s sonic heritage with global musical traditions—from Arabic and Latin American music to jazz fusion, funk, and diasporic new wave and synthpop.