9×13

“And anyone who thinks that brass bands are only good for excessively joyous oom-pah music should listen to Neo-Fanfare 9×13. This colourful bunch of unrulies draws bittersweet melancholy from its horns.” — Volkskrant, 2018

With tuba, trombones, horn, trumpet, saxophones, flute and percussion, 9×13 brings contemporary music to a broad audience. At first look, a traditional marching band, but 9×13 is much more. It’s a brass band reborn: theatrical, challenging and versatile.

Over the last few years 9×13 has earned a reputation as a leading ensemble that brings contemporary music to a diverse and largely new audience. Consisting of ten professional classical musicians, the group creates its ‘music-theatre without words’ with composers, directors, choreographers, coloured with costumes and mobile sets.

The Dutch ‘fanfare’ tradition provides a point of reference that evokes celebration and accessibility, and is one of the reasons that 9×13’s productions have proved such a hit with festivals and public alike since its inception in 2015. 9×13 plays pop-up events, mostly in the open air, from festival locations to city centres, bringing new music to an adventurous audience away from the concert hall.

9×13 has over the last few years created three productions: Morendo (2016); Trance (2017); and Les Fauves (2019). 9×13 is currently working on its 4th production, Halt en sta stil (2021).