Flairck

Flairck is a Dutch musical ensemble formed in the late 1970s around guitar virtuoso Erik Visser. The group has had varying members dependent on the projects undertaken.

The Netherlands has long experienced a variety of musical influences as befits a country of its cultural diversity. Flairck, formed by Erik Visser in 1978, has tapped into this confluence of musical inspirations, bringing with it its own originality. Like its music the name of the band is an original composition, coming from the English work 'flair' and the Dutch 'vlerk' which means a nimble fingered hand or wing, reflecting the instrumental speed and clarity of the music.

Flairck started as an instrumental group, playing acoustic instruments and composing the majority of its own material. In essence the music is a form of chamber music, classically influenced new 'traditional' music with touches of jazz and blues. However such a definition does little to convey the impact of Flairck's performances, which draw on a variety of influences. The number of instruments the group has collected on its many tours has grown steadily over the years and quite a few of these instruments are used in Flairck's theatrical stage settings.

Flairck has worked with several well known artist and symphony orchestras, touring in Europe and beyond, including Indonesia, Japan, Australia, and North and South America. The group toured France with Georges Moustaki and recorded an album with producer Mike Batt and singer Maggie Reilly ("Sleight of Hand", EMI).

After two years of preparation Flairck released its first album in 1978. The album "Variations on a Lady" went platinum in the Netherlands and received three major awards including an Edison, which is the Netherlands highest recording award. The second album "The Lady's Back", released in 1979, went gold and received several distinctions including another Edison. Over the years Flairck has released 17 CDs / albums. The third album "Live in Amsterdam" was released in 1980, "Circus" in 1981, "Flairck and Orchestra" in 1982, "Moustaki and Flairck" also in 1982, "Bal Masque" was recorded in 1984, "Sleight of Hand" in 1985, "Encore" in 1986 and "The Emigrant" in 1988. In February 1989 Flairck received the Gouden Harp (Golden Harp), The Netherlands' highest music award.

"Alive", a live double CD, was released in 1990. "The Parade" (1992) was based on the paintings of the Dutch mediaeval painter Hieronymus Bosch and the CD "Chambers" (1994) on the work of the Belgian surrealist René Magritte. In 1995 the CD "The Chilean Concerts" was recorded and released in South America. "The Golden Age" (1996) was set in the 17th century and based on the true story of a Dutch sailing vessel. In 1997 the group spent three months in Chile composing and recording music for the photographer Roberto Edwards' project "Cuerpos Pintados". In 1998 the tour "Lijf" celebrated the 20th anniversary of Flairck. In 1999 the "Symphony for the Old World" incorporated 9 musicians, including 4 soloists from the four corners of Europe. The CD and video "Symphony for the Old World" were released in the year 2000.

"Circus Hieronymus Bosch", a cooperation with acrobatics theatre Corpus and based on the paintings of the Dutch mediaeval painter Hieronymus Bosch, premiered on 8th August, 2001, in 's-Hertogenbosch, followed by more than 80 concerts in Holland and Belgium. "Circus Hieronymus Bosch" was recorded for a DVD production, which was released in September 2002.

Because of the success of this unusual circus show the cooperation between Flairck and Corpus continued the following year, resulting in the opera "Lucia the Moucheron", which premiered on September 21st 2002 in Middelburg, Zeeland.

In the years 2003 and 2004 Flairck stopped touring for the first time in its 25 year old history. Erik Visser decided to take the time to settle some old scores: together with editor Piet Zweers he prepared the final partitura's of "Symphony for the Old World", "Circus Hieronymus Bosch" and "Lucia de Moucheron". Flairck released these music books on the website.

Erik Visser currently works on a solo tour called "The One Man Parade" which will travel through Holland from October 2004 until March 2005 in 45 Dutch theaters. In the second half of 2005 Flairck will continue.

The musical style of Flairck is a unique blend of folk music, jazz and classical chamber music. The music witten by the members of the ensemble is often centred on an album theme and is played with a wide variety of acoustic instruments.