Why did the glass organ, extremely popular in the 18th and 19th century, almost completely disappear from the globe? The story goes that the thin, hypnotic sound of the singing glasses can bring about a state of trance. Some people would even have gone insane... 

Rogier Kappers, the Glass Grinder, collected hundreds of glasses and built the only glass organ of the Netherlands. On his transport bike, he rambles around, showing up on festivals, village squares and street corners, telling stories and enchanting his audiences with old and new songs -from Bach, Beatles and Brel- on the singing glasses.  

The Show

“ Mesmerising...”     (ARD, German tv)  
 “ Unbelievable...”    (Podium Witteman, Dutch tv)  
“ Virtuoso...”              (Top 2000 a go go, Dutch tv)  
“ Pure magic...”        (Dubai Int.Street Festival)  
“ Goose bumps...”    (Audience reaction)

My show (25 minutes) is a combination of music and storytelling. 

Rogier is standing behind his organ. A large glass rotates slowly and produces a deep drone tone. Rogier introduces himself, and tells that as a small boy he was already fascinated by the singing glass. Slowly, he starts playing on top of the drone tone. The sound of the glasses immediately captivates the audience. From here the performance takes off. Rogier has a varied repertoire of pop-evergreens and classical music. In between, he tells stories about his journey of discovery on glass. His repertoire includes music by The Beatles, Bach, Jacques Brel, Oasis, Abba, Simon & Garfunkel, Arvo Pärt, and songs like Summertime and House of the Rising Sun. At the end of his show, he invite the audience to have a look up close at the organ. People are curious and ask questions. They can try out to make a glass sing by themselves.

Special shows and collaborations
On demand, I offer special shows, longer or shorter. For example with only  classic repertoire, or repertoire more focused on pop songs and sing alongs. A very special place has the music of the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. I am passionate about his music, and his pervasive minimalist compositions seem to fit very well on glass. I compiled a small program around Pärts music.

I work together with other musicians and artists, for example:
* 
The Evening of Film Music, with the world renowned Dutch Metropole Orchestra
* Arrangements and live music (Glass & Piano) with silent films in the 'Eye National Film Institute' in Amsterdam
* Music for 'The Courage of Despair', a show by Dutch comic Hendrick Jan de Stuntman
* Live Performance with puppeteer Heike Klockmeier, Ambrella Figuren Theater (DE)
* I worked together with musicians who play instruments like the cello, violin, guitar, piano, singing saw etc.
*
Contact me for possibilities

Video's

Music

It’s a great discovery tour to find out which music fits well to glass. There is some music written for glass, even by composers like Mozart and Beethoven, but it's not much. And actually, my challenge is more to find and re-arrange songs and compositions which were never played on glass before. How would SOS from Abba sound, or Stairway to Heaven from Led Zeppelin. And Cohen,  Brel, the Beatles? And singing with the glasses, how does that sound?

Next to pop evergreens and chansons, I re-arrange work of classical composers for glass: Bach, songs from Schubert, Schumann, and above all the music form the  renowned Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. His pervasive minimalist compositions really seem to fit well to the sound of glass. 

A Music Album
The coming year, I will be working on a music album in which I explore the possibilities of glass music in combination with other instruments and (harmony)singing. It will be a combination of adaptions of existing songs, and original compositions. Inscribe on my mailing list to be kept updated. 

 

 

With the renowned Metropole Orchestra

About Me

Music has always been important in my life. I play piano (as an amateur) since an early age, and later the accordion and guitar were added.
I worked as a documentary film maker for many years, and made several films on music. My 'moment of fame' was my feature-length music documentary Lomax the Songhunter.  It was awarded with many prizes, among them a Golden Calf (Best Dutch documentary of the year) and an international  Emmy award nomination. 

Making music myself kept pulling me. As ten-year-old boy, I had seen a glass organ on television. The mesmerising and hypnotic sound touched something deep inside of me, and the idea to build one myself has been there since. At age 52, I decided to turn the wheel of my life and do it! Nobody believed me, but I persisted. It was an amazing journey of discovery. I collected hundreds glasses from shops all over the country,  and started to build, rebuild, finding repertoire, rehearsing... I progressed slowly but steadily.

And now, 7 years later, I can live partly from my performances with the glasses. At the same time, I'm making the documentary 'Glass' about this seven year adventure  for Dutch
(KRO/NCRV) and international television . It will be released and broadcasted in 2023. Join my mailing list  and I will keep you updated.

Playing for 10.000 people, scary...

my first glass bike , 2017

Tour Dates

I don’t want anything else anymore, only spin and grind my glasses, and let all and sundry listen to it. Since 4 years, I am touring the cities and countryside of Europe, playing on festivals and on the street. I played for example at Oerol / Netherlands, La Strada Bremen / Germany, Out There/ UK,  Kleines Fest /Germany, Tollwood/ Germany, International Street Festival  Dubai etc.  

But I also love to play as a busker, just out on the streets, so you might find me next to your grocery store, at the train station,  in front of the IKEA on your saturday out, or in a small off track street in some provincial town.

Tour dates  2023 

3-4 maart               STRFSTVL  
2 april                        Slot Zeist  
6 mei                          Binz, KlockenStaunen, Germany 
 20 mei                      Storioni Muziekfestival , Eindhoven  (optie)  
 28 mei                      Festival Muziekcentrum Bijloke , Gent , Belgium  
2, 3 juni                     Bachus Wijn festival Amsterdam (optie)  
 4 juni                         Achterhoek Spektakel tour  
10 Juni                      Bremen festival, Germany  
18 Juni                      Potsdam Fahrad concert, Germany  
24 Juni                     Harderwijk Straat festival  
8-9 juli                       Eschdorf, open dag Waterzuivering, Luxemburg  
15 juli                         Kindermuziekfeest Tolhuistuin, Amsterdam (option)  
27 juli                         Knokke Heist , Zomerfeest, Belgie 
29 juli-12 aug.      Zomeravonden concerten, Openluchtmuseum, Arnhem  
18-20 aug               Limburg Festival  
24 sept                     Schloss Dijck, Duitsland  
13-22 okt                Vonk Lichtkunst festival, Fort Honswijk, Houten 
 17 nov.                      Orgelnacht Essen , Germany 

 

Tour dates 2022 

27 feb.                      Buitengewoon Festival-diner, NL 
8-10 april               Ieper, Belgie  
20-21 mei.            Arvo Pärt Festival Partpetuum, Delft     
24-25 mei             Cultuurdag VMBO Woerden  
26 mei                     Krang Festival Hengelo, NL  
28 mei                     IJsel theater, Kunst-fietsroute, Olst   
18 juni                     Esens Festival, DU 
24-25 juni.           Kulturpark festival, Gaggenau, DU  
5 juli-31 juli.         Kleines Fest im Grossen Garten, Hannover, DU 
11 juli.                      Kunst fietsroute Berlare, Belgie   
6-7 augustus       Fest der Fantasie, Koningsberg, DU 
19-20 aug.            Potsdammer Schlossnacht, Potsdam, DU 
10 sept.                    Emmen, opening Cultureel seizoen 
17-18 sep.             Out There Festival, Great Yarmouth, UK 
19-23 okt.             Puppet International, Meppel, NL               
18-20 nov.            Avond Filmmuziek, Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam, NL  
30 nov-4 dec      Tollwood Festival, Munchen, DU 
17 dec                      Wintermagie, Overijsse, Belgie

 

Tour dates 2021 
3-4 sept.                 StadtGrabenfest Wolfenbütel, Duitsland 
20-21 aug.             Potsdamer Schlössernacht, Duitsland 
31 juli / 1 aug.       Fest der Fantasie, Koningswinter, Duitsland 
26-27 juni              Kulturpark Fest, Gaggenau, Duitsland  
6 Juni                        Esens, Duitsland       

Tour dates 2020 
9-12 december     Tollwood Festival, Munchen    
24 okt.                    Rode Bioscoop, Amsterdam               
15-19 okt.              (Canceled) Hapas Route, Puppet Festival   
8 oktober               Speelklok Museum, Utrecht  
4 oktober               Piazza Cultura, Tilburg 
20 september       Rode Bioscoop, Amsterdam  
6 september         (Canceled) Bergfest am Piesberg, Osnabruck 
23 augustus         Hoogte 80, Theaterterras, Arnhem  
28/29-8               (Canceled) Stadtgrabenfest Wolfenbuttel  
14/15-8                (Canceled) Schlössernacht, Potsdam  
1/2-8                     (Canceled) Koningswinter, Duitsland    
13-6                       (Canceled) Kunstfestival Esens, Duitsland 
30-5                      (Canceled) Paderborn, Duitsland  
10/12-4                (Canceled) Ieper, Belgium   
6-4                         (Canceled) Lente festival, Zeist     
16/17-2                 Strtfestvl Utrecht 
27/29-1                 Kulturborse Freiburg, Duitsland

Tour dates 2019  
14-15 december        Scrooge Festival, Arcen    
13 december              Kerstfestival Ettelbruck, Luxemburg    
3 november                Vest in Alkmaar, Alkmaar    
1 oktober                     Live muziek bij Regen, Joris Ivens, Eye              
                                           Filmmuseum, Amsterdam    
20 september            Opening seizoen Delden Klassiek,  Delden    
15 september             Feest Zorgkwekerij Diepenveen               
14 september             Kunstfestival Schiebroek, Rotterdam   
8 september               Noorderparkfestival, Amsterdam    
29 augustus               Nacht van Nunspeet    
26-27 augustus       Paderborn Festival    
25 augustus               Boecult XL, Boekel    
18-28 juli                    Kleines Fest im Grossen Garten, Hannover, 
                                         Duitsland    
29 Juni                        Simmerdeis festival, Drachten    
18-23 juni                 Oerol, Terschelling    
14-16 juni                  La Strada, International Street 
                                         Theaterfestival, Bremen    
9-10 juni                     Kunst fietsroute Deventer    
2 juni                            Art of Wonder Festival, Assen    
31 mei-1 juni           Zwolle Unlimited, Zwolle    
30 mei                        Hoogte 80 Festival, Arnhem    
26 mei                        Het Pioenroos concert, dorpskerk 
                                        Wijnaldum     
25 mei                        Fries Straattheaterfestival, Leeuwarden    
18 mei                         Kunsten op Straat festival, Hengelo     
7 April                         Straattheaterfestival, Slot Zeist    
19 maart                    OGO conferentie, Wageningen 
3 Maart                      Torpedo Theater, Amsterdam

 

 

Contact/ mailing

 

E-mail:             rogierkappers@gmail.com
Telephone:    +31 6 55157761 

 

 

 

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