Elias is a recipient of the Dutch Music Prize: the highest state honor in the field of classical music. In an interview with artistic manager Jan-Willem van Ree for Muziekweb, he explains that, for him, everything centers on the interaction with the audience: “You tell a story through your music—a story into which, ideally, everyone is drawn.” His ultimate goal? “To make my guitar sing, expressed in a language without words.” To bring these stories to life, he is bringing no fewer than five remarkable historical guitars to Ede—ranging from the intimate tones of Renaissance and Baroque guitars to rare early-Romantic instruments and the modern Spanish guitar. Each instrument evokes its own unique atmosphere, recounting a distinct chapter in history.

From Parisian Salons to a Journey Across the Zuiderzee

Before the intermission, this musical journey through time explores the extremes of the guitar’s early history. Izhar introduces spirited Baroque dances, rich with Mediterranean flair and originating from the Canary Islands. From there, you are transported to the Parisian salons of the nineteenth century, where Francesco Molino brought the captivating world of Italian opera to life on the guitar. Particularly poignant and nostalgic is the work of Napoleon Coste; he composed a musical recollection of an impressive voyage he took as an eight-year-old boy across the Dutch Zuiderzee, accompanying his father—an officer in Napoleon’s army. Thanks to the use of historical instruments, you hear these pieces exactly as the composers intended: transparent, intimate, and full of character.

Tragic Romance and Sizzling Spanish Temperament

After the break, Izhar bridges the gap to the present day with a beautiful new work by Lowell Dijkstra, based on the tragic love story of Pyramus and Thisbe. The program then ignites with the fiery spirit of Spain through quintessential guitar classics: the electrifying Asturias by Albéniz and an intimate solo guitar arrangement of the world-renowned Adagio from Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez. It is precisely in this dynamic range that Izhar excels; as he explains in an interview with Muziekweb: “As a guitarist, I try to work from a place of silence. There is so much tension to be found in how you handle timing. For us guitarists, that power often lies in the quietest moments.” Experience the passion of this journey for yourself, and enjoy a masterful evening in which the guitar speaks, falls silent, and sings.