Indigenous to Armenia, the Duduk is a double-reed woodwind instrument made of apricot wood, with a distinctive velvety and deeply evocative sound. Often played in a pair to create a richer, more haunting sound, the first player plays the melody, while the second one plays a steady drone called dum. Variations of the Armenian Duduk are […]
Category: project
A Musical Silk Road Born of Difference
Silk Road is a composition partly inspired by cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and the richness that comes from the exchange of ideas and cultures, – a recurring theme in my upcoming album “Lotus Dreams”. In today’s world I find comfort in the Silk Road ensemble, founded by this famous musician. My own Silk Road recalls the […]
Jalak Bali – A Rare Bird
Two tracks on my new album “Lotus Dreams” have strong South-East Asian influences. One of these, Jalak Bali, is a tribute to one of the rarest birds in the world, the Bali starling. Again a mix of east and west instruments is used: piccolos sing their voices, and the tune of bamboo flutes call out […]
Liquid Zen & Spacemusic
Moving to the here and now, Liquid Zen ebbs and flows within a new experimental genre called Spacemusic. It will be released on my new album “Lotus Dreams”. This eclectic sub-genre of new-age music is described by Stephen Hill (co-founder of the radio show “Hearts of Space”) as “music that evokes a feeling of contemplative […]
From Alaska with Love – Nava Semel – The Anchorage Press
Due to recent changes in the European Union’s general data protection regulations I was unable to access the Alaskan Press from the Netherlands, where director Vivian Melde, Nava Sarracino and myself are attending memorial events, honoring playwright Nava Semel. In a strange course of events, I had to ask my husband to send the article […]
Polar Suite Released
Polar Suite is Christel Veraart’s latest CD. The album’s fifteen original compositions are inspired by the breathtaking beauty of Alaska. Polar Suite takes you to places where few people ever go. Available as digital download and CD. Listen …To the soft tones of a distant orchestra, a lonely duduk and cello emerge into the foreground. Voice plays a […]
Artist Award for Alaskan Composer
Christel Veraart has received a 2014 Individual Artist Award from the prestigious Rasmuson Foundation, to complete her latest work entitled Polar Suite. The grant will enable Christel to complete the composition, and explore new avenues for live performance, especially in dance productions. “Work is incredible evocative and well-suited for film and dance. Great orchestration. Really nice range […]