Don’t Leave the Room in Oslo

The first leg of Nadar Ensemble’s September tour is behind us, and what a ride it has been. From heartfelt audience reactions in Utrecht, to the ingenuity of our tech team in Oslo, and the celebrations in Warsaw, these past weeks have shown me again how lucky I am to travel and perform with the amazing Nadars.

Two programs shaped this journey so far: What’s Next and Don’t Leave the Room. Each stop had its own character, its own challenges, and moments that will stay with me for a long time.

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Utrecht

The tour began in Utrecht, a city that always feels like a return for me since it was the first European city I ever lived in. Over two nights we presented both What’s Next and Don’t Leave the Room. Elena Evstratova’s performance of Alexander Khubeev’s new work was especially striking—her presence on stage was raw and moving, and the intensity of her reaction afterwards showed how much the piece demanded.

Paul Scully’s sprint motif brought its own drama: running through the city in the rain and then pushing through a late-night run. It turned into a kind of endurance piece of its own. Add to that the warm audience reactions and encouraging reviews, and Utrecht gave us a start that was both challenging and inspiring.

Elena Evstratova in Don’t Leave the Room (Utrecht)

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Oslo

After a short pause at home, we regrouped in Oslo for Don’t Leave the Room. Because of visa restrictions linked to the war in Ukraine, Elena was unable to travel. What could have been a devastating setback became one of the most memorable moments of the tour: our tech team projected a life-size image of Elena performing the piece and wove it seamlessly into the staging. It was a brilliant solution to an incredibly frustrating problem—and in an uncanny way, it matched the program’s theme. Don’t Leave the Room deals with censorship, and here was a soloist literally prevented from being present. The result was both practical and deeply symbolic.

Bluer Womb in Oslo

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Warsaw

Warsaw brought us back to What’s Next. Heat and late-night sprints tested our stamina, but the city also gave us something to celebrate: Matthew Grouse winning the Gaudeamus Award. This was our first time working with him, and the ensemble felt his recognition was fully deserved. To see a new collaborator honored in this way added a special sense of pride to the trip.

In the bus in Warsaw – Pieter Matthynssens with the great camera work

Matthew Grouse wins the Gaudeamus Prize!

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Looking Ahead

The tour now continues with Don’t Leave the Room in Strasbourg and Antwerp, before returning to Leuven with What’s Next. We are all very much looking forward to welcoming Elena back for the Strasbourg performance.

• September 30, 20:00 — Musica, Strasbourg (FR)
• October 9, 20:00 — De Singel, Antwerp (BE)
• October 18, 17:30 — STUK, Leuven (BE)

Strasbourg will be our next chance to bring Don’t Leave the Room to the stage, and it will be especially exciting to have Elena back in person. Antwerp will feel like a home match: we created and rehearsed both programs at De Singel, so bringing them back there carries a special pride. Finally, Leuven will close this leg of the tour with the vibrant energy of What’s Next.

Applause in Utrecht