Genre-overstijgende percussie performance in de Amstelkerk
“Luís Bittencourt is percussionist, composer, artist-researcher and music producer. An active performer in a range of various styles — from classical, folk south american music, free improvisation to contemporary experimental music — Bittencourt is considered “a master of sound experimentation” (Vision Magazine, Portugal) and has performed solo in Europe, Oceania, north and south America.
His performances, which are “a torrent of originality” (Casa da Música*, Portugal), include first auditions of his own compositions, and by composers Tan Dun, Gabriel Prokofiev, Steve Reich, Vinko Globokar and some contemporary Portuguese composers.
“One of the most interesting aspects of music is, in my opinion, the timbre. From early on, I was always fascinated with the production of unique timbres and sonorities. My initial contact with music was through the electric guitar: an instrument which has a wide range of sonic possibilities, digital and analog effects, techniques, amplification etc. The discovery of percussion took my attention to a broad family of instruments with such diverse and unique sound characteristics.
During my career as a percussionist, I have come to gradually realize that every object or existing material can be used as a musical instrument. That revealed an infinite world of sonic possibilities in a way that, for me, one of the primary percussionist’s skills should be the ability to get a sound out of anything, which can be either a traditional musical instrument or an object of any sort.” – Luís Bittencourt “