‘Bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonnerronntuonnthunnt-rovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthurnuk’
In questions and music, Berber circles past answers and emotions. Sometimes questions will stay unanswered and sometimes, maybe accidentally, she might hit the core of a truth. Berber’s strength is complete surrender and dedication to things yet to be understood, without wanting to immediately find the answer.
By giving attention to the question first, results might be grand, subtle, funny, intense, heavy, strange, ugly, beautiful, human and above all, unexpected.
Berber studied classical singing at the ArtEZ conservatoire with Harry van Berne and with Åsa Bäverstam at the Academy of Music and Drama in Gothenburg. Berber’s irresistible urge to philosophically think about, and perform music is rooted in a deep love for the choir music with which she was raised and the operas she learned to love when she had her first singing lessons. Berber took part in masterclasses by Jard van Nes, Evelyn Tubb and Andrea Raffanini. She sang multiple solos in oratorio with, for instance, the NHL Stendenkoor and the Ensemble Vocal Pierre Villette. Since 2019, Berber sings with the women’s chamber choir Hera, led by Raghna Wissink. With 263 points they won both the jury prize, the audience award, and with these; placement in the final of the Dutch Choir Festival at Tivoli Vredenburg at the Vocaal Festival 2020 in Utrecht.
‘The first question I ask myself when something doesn’t seem to be beautiful. First question I ask is: why do I think it’s not beautiful? And then shortly you discover that there is no reason.’
John Cage
Her great interest in cultural philosophy caused her to discover an affinity with contemporary classical music and this is how she found her place in multiple varied ensembles aiming to perform new music. She worked on music by John Cage in the ArtEZ modern project, passionately led by Ivo van Emmerik. Since 2019, she forms a duo (group of two) with saxophonist Jos Baggermans. Together they play music by John Cage, Thomas Kessler and Ivo van Emmerik.
‘Performance is a mental and physical construction performed by an artist in a specific time and space for an audience, causing a dialogue of energy to take place.’
Marina Abramović
To Berber, singing is more than a recital with a programme in which pieces succeed each other exactly as put down. At the conservatoire, Berber developed her acting skills and played in multiple music theatre performances, including Matthijs Naylor’s Talent opera, performed on the roof of the Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam, during the Opera Forward Festival in 2019.
(a thunderclap , James Joyce)