Matangi Quartet in collaboration with Amare The Hague
Saturday, 24 January 2026 – Nieuwe Kerk, The Hague
On Saturday, 24 January 2026, the Matangi Quartet will present a new edition of the Moving Music Festival. After eight successful editions of the Unheard Music Festival and an anniversary year, this edition focuses on Slovak composer Vladimír Godár: a unique, introspective musical voice rarely heard live in the Netherlands.
“We look for music that moves and sets things in motion,” says Matangi. “Godár’s work touches on the major questions of our time: identity, silence, and humanity.”
Vladimír Godár – a composer for our time
In a world full of noise and acceleration, Godár’s music invites stillness and reflection. His musical language is melancholic, spiritual, and rooted in Central European culture. Godár (1956), both composer and musicologist, gained international recognition with his vocal cycle Mater and is often compared to Arvo Pärt and Henryk Górecki — not in style, but in spiritual expressiveness.
Matangi brings his music to Dutch stages “because Godár’s work reminds us of the power of silence and beauty.”
16:00 | INspired Concert
The INspired Concert forms the substantive prelude to the main programme of the Moving Music Festival. The programme brings together works that, in atmosphere, theme, or musical language, are related to the oeuvre of Vladimír Godár. Sometimes this involves like-minded composers of the 20th and 21st centuries, sometimes Baroque music that served as an inspiration, and sometimes pieces that share the same introspective and spiritual expressive power. In this way, a layered context is created in which Godár’s music is embedded, reflected, and deepened.
Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber – Battalia
A Baroque master narrative in which Biber paints scenes of war with both humour and drama.
Valentin Silvestrov – Hommage à J.S. Bach
With this homage, the composer bows to J.S. Bach by repackaging seemingly familiar things and listening sensitively after melody fragments and harmonies.Violin and piano
Alfred Schnittke – String Quartet No. 3
Schnittke intertwines Baroque influences with his characteristic polystylistic language in a powerful and moving work.
Valentin Silvestrov – String Quartet No. 1
A delicate, introspective quartet that elevates silence and subtlety to an art form.
17:30 | Interview: Vladimír Godár
A unique glimpse into the world of Vladimír Godár. Discover his creative process, sources of inspiration, and his vision of music in an engaging conversation with the composer-in-residence.
20:15 | Vladimír Godár Marathon
The evening is entirely devoted to the oeuvre of Vladimír Godár. His works reflect a deep connection to the human soul and a rich musical heritage:
Vladimír Godár – Emmeleia (piano)
A tranquil piano solo, subtle and moving.
Vladimír Godár – Piano Trio Talisman
A rarely heard chamber work in which emotion and technical refinement come together.
Vladimír Godár – Emmeleia (string quartet)
Version for string quartet.
Vladimír Godár – Piano Quintet
Vladimír Godár – Concerto Grosso
A grand work in which Godár breathes new life into classical forms through contemporary expression. Featuring choreography for the final movement created by De Dutch Don’t Dance Division.
De Dutch Don’t Dance Division is creating a pas de deux for two male dancers to accompany the final movement of Vladimir Godár’s Concerto Grosso. The choice of this classical form underscores the dramatic and lyrical weight of the concluding section and offers a physical translation of the intensity and emotional layering of Godár’s music. Through the integration of dance and music, the theme of movement, both artistic and physical, becomes visible, offering the audience a multidisciplinary experience.
Young Professionals For both Godár’s Concerto Grosso and Biber’s Battalia, Matangi will be joined on stage by a group of young professionals.
These promising musicians largely come from the new generation of string quartets in the Netherlands. Among them are members of the Viride Quartet and the Skazka Quartet—ensembles with which Matangi has maintained a warm and close relationship for many years.
