The Netherlands, 2017
‘The Secret Diary of Nora Plain’, a new, modern-day song cycle, came into being through an unlikely collaboration between eight young Amsterdam-based musicians from very different backgrounds. First, there’s the Ragazze Quartet, a young but seasoned string quartet known for their ability to move between the classical, the modern and the theatrical. There’s Nora Fischer, a singer celebrated for her versatility in repertoire and iconoclastic approach. There’s Remco Menting, percussionist in jazz band Kapok, amongst other collectives. There’s composer Morris Kliphuis, known as a jazzman and French horn extraordinaire in Kapok. There’s lyricist Otto Wichers, better known as singer-songwriter Lucky Fonz III.