On their new album ZONAR (2026), the Rotterdam-based North Sea String Quartet explores the sonic realm of electronic music, in particular that of Electronic Dance Music (EDM). During a series of extensive ‘laboratory sessions’, the quartet looked into how they could convey that material acoustically. This resulted in new playing techniques and the use of all kinds of elements to distort the sound to their taste, such as pegs, paper clips, earrings, keyrings and aluminum foil, proving that the North Sea String Quartet is one of the most adventurous string quartets around. On ZONAR, George Dumitriu (violin), Pablo Rodríguez (violin), Yanna Pelser (viola) and Thomas van Geelen (cello) lift their sound to another next level, by immersing their string instruments in electronic music. The improvisational level is so high that the boundary to jazz is effortlessly crossed. It’s compelling, contemporary music that appeals to both the body and the imagination. Through the special and captivating stage design by Roelof Pothuis, the stage is transformed into a laboratory of sounds.
