Dark summer festival
As summer nights grow long, and dusk gently expands to contain all the gradients in the balance between light and dark, splendorian Thomas Myrmel has brought three groups together who all explore the notions of popular music through a contemporary classical lens. This evening will resonate with songs from across the planet with beautiful melodies and dense harmonies in the sonic trimmings of electronic production which teases the ear with continual sonic play.
Zack Keim (songsmith) promises the latest in raw Americana from the steel belt.
**Anat Spiegel **joined by Dario Calderone bends the song form through her meditative, colorful compositional approach, with haunting melodies floating through space.
SEALF invites special guest Oguz Buyukberber to join them in telling the chilling story of the ICE occupation of Minneapolis in Jan 2026, through a new collection of intense narrative songs sifting through the sonic representation of this drama which takes place close to home in Myrmel's city of origin.
– Bios –
ZACK KEIM is an acclaimed American singer-songwriter from Pittsburgh, USA whose soulful melodies and deep lyrics have resonated with fans around the world. From 2022 to 2025, he toured extensively throughout the US and Europe. A former member of the Nox Boys, Keim's music caught the attention of Gregg Kostelich of The Cynics, who produced his debut solo album for Get Hip Records. Keim's powerful live performances have led him to share the stage with renowned artists such as Peter Case (The Nerves/Plimsouls), indie icon Calvin Johnson (Beat Happening/ K Records), JD Wilkes (Legendary Shack Shackers), Marty Wilson Piper (The Church), Evan Westfall (Caamp), and acclaimed indie songwriter Matt Costa.
Anat Spiegel(IL/NL/USA) is a composer and performer of new music, experimental opera, and song. Her work is nestled in the juxtaposition of theater, jazz, and contemporary classical music, and most recently touches on the spiritual aspects of sound-making. She is interested in the ways language permeates our (musical) consciousness and shapes our understanding of the world. Her research examines how vocal utterance connects the body, the subconscious, and the sonic landscape as a whole. Her instrumental works have been performed by ensembles such as the Residentie Orkest, Orkest De Ereprijs, Nederlands Kamerkoor, ONCIEM, and Ensemble Klang.
Spiegel’s multidisciplinary creations include the opera Medulla (La Monnaie), the electronic opera Before Present (Dutch National Opera / Amsterdam Dance Event), and the online opera The Transmigration of Morton F (Holland Festival). Anat earned her Master’s degree in Composition in 2025 at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague.
Dario Calderone is a multidisciplinary artist, composer and musician, born in Rome in 1978 and currently based in Amsterdam. Internationally recognized as a double bass player, he has collaborated with composers and artists such as Pierre Boulez, Salvatore Sciarrino, Annea Lockwood, Christian Marclay, and Druba Ghosh. He has been a member of contemporary ensembles including Algoritmo (2005–2010), Nieuw Ensemble (2009–2019), and Trio Feedback (2020–2024), and has toured with Klangforum Wien, Constantinople, and the Atlas Ensemble. He is currently a member of MAZE. Calderone has made a significant contribution to the development of the solo double bass repertoire, premiering hundreds of new works by composers such as Peter Ablinger, Giorgio Netti, Alberto Posadas, Helena Tulve, Yannis Kyriakides, Bernhard Lang, and Silvia Borzelli, among others. His work spans composition, sound installation, recording, and community-based practices, and is deeply informed by Deep Listening as a method for artistic research, social engagement, and ecological awareness. His work often unfolds in participatory formats—workshops, listening gatherings, and site-specific situations—moving beyond the conventions of the concert hall. His ongoing research includes dream yoga, collective dreaming, and listening to dreams as practices for community building and social transformation.
Sealf is the joyous product of the universal coincidence where electronic wizard Thomas Myrmel crossed paths with bassist and soundsmith Jonathan Nagel. Together they explore the farthest reaches of song form, deftly weaving melodies with sound walls and trilling frequencies drawing the listener into a sonic meditation sculpted into Myrmel's evocative lyrics.
Thomas Myrmel (Voice/electr/Trombone) is a composer, performer and multifaceted artist, weaving the notions of social change, craftsmanship and creative expression into every aspect of his practice.
Jonathan Nagel (Contrabass) is driven by a craving to convey emotions and tell stories. Continuously seeking to abandon the borders between genres, striving to merely rely on whatever means it takes to create a certain image or feeling. Alongside Contrabass, Nagel's artistic practice includes music, poetry, improvisation, physical theater, performance art, and dance.
Oguz Buyukberber's wide ranging work can be heard on over 60 CDs full of original music for acoustic and electronic formations. His visual impairment has shaped the way he learns, creates and teaches, and as a life long student, he studied bass clarinet, composition, electronic music and visual arts and holds multiple degrees. He has published a book of his own approach to composition and improvisation, recorded for ECM and Blue Note, was invited to prestigious residencies such as the EMS, Erica Synths HQ, STEIM and taught at universities worldwide.
