Dancing Strings Festival

Name: Dancing Strings Festival — New compositions by female string artists
Start: 2026-06-14T16:00:00+02:00
Location: Amare Studio

New compositions by female string artists

Sun 14 Jun / 16:00

Sun 14 Jun ’26

16:00

Sun 14 Jun ’26

16:00

Amare Studio

Tickets

The Dancing Strings Festival brings together the most enchanting string instruments from around the world in diverse ensembles. This fourth edition of the festival focuses on women in music. Eight female artists from different parts of the world will share their talent and passion on stage. They bring a unique blend of cultural backgrounds and perform on a variety of stringed instruments, both as soloists and in ensembles.

Cookies

We use services such as Youtube and Vimeo for videos and other media. To view this, you have to give permission to place cookies. More information…

Cookies are required for the website to function properly. This way the content of your shopping cart will be remembered and you can log in on the website with your account.

Cookies are also needed to enrich your experience on the website. For example, media from third parties such as videos. We also keep statistics to continuously improve the site.

Finally, cookies are used to process further information about our marketing activities, such as newsletters and advertisements, in the most efficient and personal way. Read our cookie policy ➤

Performing at the festival are Hind Ennaira (sentir), Khorshid Dadbeh (tar), Lucie de Saint Vincent (piano), and Beate Loonstra (harp), accompanied by Iris Sigtermans (bass guitar) and Zilan Hasret Yıldız (percussion). The women bring together two contrasting instruments: the three-stringed bass lute sentir (or guembri), a social instrument that evokes dance and trance, and the harp, which has its origins in court culture and was developed more as an instrument for listening. The piano also joins this unique combination of instruments, emphasizing the similarities between the sentir and the piano as percussive string instruments. In the accompanying orchestra, percussion and bass guitar play a key role, enhancing the groove and dynamics of the ensemble.

Dancing Strings Festival is an initiative of the Utrecht-based lute player Kamal Hors. The festival brings together the world’s most enchanting string instruments in varied ensembles and takes you on a musical journey of discovery through the versatility of string instruments.

The festival features new pieces composed especially for this edition, with room for improvisation and collaborative musical exploration. The musicians will come together for a residency prior to the festival. Before the intermission, the artists will first perform solo pieces. They will then present their new compositions in varying ensembles, ranging from duets to pieces accompanied by an orchestra. They will conclude the first part together with a lively longa (a piece of Turkish classical music). After the intermission, there will be a swinging performance by special guest Hind Ennaira with a gnawa ensemble.