Fuse, the alternative classical ensemble, house band of the television program Podium Klassiek and last season’s SPOT Artist in Residence, has maintained a close musical friendship for years with the renowned Syrian-American clarinetist and composer Kinan Azmeh. With FREE, the long-cherished wish to tour together is fulfilled. It promises to be a musical adventure brimming with poignant rhythms, spectacular improvisations, and melancholic melodies, a program in which hope, memory, and connection take center stage. For Azmeh – a member of Yo-Yo Ma’s award-winning Silk Road Ensemble – music is an ‘act of freedom’. His roots in Arabic music, classical training, and jazz background align seamlessly with the free spirit of Fuse. The program features new work written by Azmeh for Fuse, arrangements of some of his iconic works such as November 22nd and Airports, and adaptations of music by Béla Bartók and J.S. Bach, among others. And of course, there is plenty of improvisation as well.