Osvaldo Golijov - Anna Clyne

Perfectly Free

Maja Bogdanović | Phion Symphony Orchestra | David Cohen | Xandi van Dijk

Label: Challenge Classics
Format: CD
Barcode: 0608917200546

Catalog number: CC 720054
Releasedate: 06-03-26

- A unique pairing of two major contemporary cello concertos—Golijov’s Azul and Clyne’s DANCE—brought together on one album for the first time
- Cellist Maja Bogdanović delivers breathtaking, deeply personal performances praised by Golijov himself for their rare artistic “telepathy”
- Live recordings capturing the electrifying energy of the Stift International Music Festival with the acclaimed Phion Symphony Orchestra
- These concertos were both Dutch premieres at the time of live recordings and captured with fantastic sound
- A bold, emotionally expansive journey from cosmic radiance to intimate lyricism, representing the fearless “Perfectly Free” spirit of the festival and its artists.

Perfectly Free brings together two contemporary cello concertos—Osvaldo Golijov’s Azul and Anna Clyne’s DANCE—in a live recording that cellist Maja Bogdanović describes as a deeply personal journey of discovery. Both works received their Dutch premieres during the Stift International Music Festival with the Phion Symphony Orchestra, under the batons of David Cohen (Azul) and Xandi van Dijk (DANCE). Golijov’s Azul is portrayed as a poetic, otherworldly tapestry of colors and styles, ranging from Baroque influences to Piazzolla-inflected rhythms, enriched by an unusual orchestration featuring a prominent accordion and a wide spectrum of exotic percussion. The concerto unfolds like a cosmic vision—at times improvisatory, at times prayerful—culminating in sound worlds that evoke radio signals, stardust, and distant galaxies.

Clyne’s DANCE, inspired by Rumi’s poetry, contrasts this with a five-movement exploration of raw emotion and virtuosity, stretching the expressive and technical boundaries of the cello. Moving from fragility to rhythmic intensity, from baroque purity to diabolical energies, the work blends folk elements, lyrical lines, and personal nostalgia—including a final, haunting dedication to the composer’s father. Bogdanović emphasizes the profound artistic partnerships behind the recording, noting the rare creative “telepathy” experienced with Golijov and the intuitive collaboration with van Dijk.

Golijov says: “Perhaps the greatest joy I know in music is telepathy between composer and performer. I am beginning to get used to it when I experience it with life-long collaborators who instantly understand the music I only understand myself after months of working on it. But I am startled when telepathy happens with a musician I have just met. This is what happened with Maja: No need for words to explain anything. Maja understands Azul better than I understand it myself. This gives me a great sense of relief. I know I don’t need to be present for my music to live in the world. I am grateful to Maja for that. David Cohen and the Phion Symphony Orchestra prove to be ideal shipmates in this Azul recording that I love dearly. To have it paired with Anna Clyne’s gorgeous music makes the recording even more special and closer to my heart.

The project reflects the “Perfectly Free” spirit of the Stift Festival—fearless, generous, and adventurous—capturing not only two landmark contemporary concertos but also the shared inspiration of the musicians who brought them to life.