A new season means not only a year full of concerts but also a new series of unique linocuts by artist Marije Hage, created especially for the Residentie Orkest. These will be presented to the soloist and conductor after the performance. Marije Hage (1982), an artist and pastor, talks about her triptych.

Music is magical. It is both elusive and intimate. Universal and deeply personal. When musicians and audience come together, they embark on an adventure. There is the anticipation, the concentration before the first note, the surrender to the score, the alternation of sound and silence.

There is an (Aztec) myth in which the world is so silent that the god of the wind is sent out to bring the musicians—who are being held captive by the sun—back to Earth. This myth and the magic of music inspire this season’s linocut series, the triptych Origin/Falling/Landing. Each linocut depicts a part of the journey.

Origin: A figuratively abstract stream of musical notes, instruments, and figures swirls around the yellow sun. Music can feel like merging into oneness. Falling: The musicians fall from the sky to Earth, against a backdrop of blue clouds. Music can feel like falling, a surrender. Landing: The music has arrived on Earth and is ready to be celebrated! Dancing musical notes find their place in the fresh greenery.

The elusiveness of music is its strength. In a world where so much is made quantifiable and measurable, music creates a healing space through its magic. A concert is a journey you take together, from which you inevitably return home a different person than when you arrived.