Saskia Venegas Aernouts @ Classical:NEXT
Saskia Venegas Aernouts is a Spanish-Belgian composer, music theatre maker, and violinist based in the Netherlands. Her interdisciplinary works address topics such as PTSD (Medusa), environmental impact (The Air We Breathe), and historical injustice (A veces, el silencio es la peor mentira, Gatos Salvajes, The House of Silk). Her orchestral piece At the Aegean Shores reflects on her volunteer experience in a refugee camp in Lesbos. Her music has been performed by the Kronos Quartet, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, Basque National Orchestra, Ragazze Quartet, Hermes Ensemble, Spectra Ensemble, and cellist Maya Fridman among others. In theatre, she has collaborated with luminaries like director Milo Rau (Orestes in Mosul, Family). Venegas founded Ensemble Oihua (The Scream), a Dutch ensemble focused on socially reflective music. She also launched Spain’s Silenced Voices, a project reviving music by composers repressed during the Spanish dictatorship. Venegas is part of the Nieuwe Makers Dutch creative development program and will serve as city composer of Rotterdam in 2025.
