Spectrum by Bryan A.J. Segers: listening beyond the visible

With Spectrum, the New European Ensemble presents a new edition of the Mavericks series, highlighting makers who challenge existing frameworks and sharpen the act of listening itself. Concerts will be held from 16 to 18 April 2026 in Enschede, Tilburg, and The Hague.

In this new composition by Bryan A.J. Segers, music, text, and electronics merge into a layered whole that not only tells, but above all allows for an experience. Drawing from his own experience of the autism spectrum, Segers explores how perception, sensory processing, and communication take shape from within and how these do not always translate easily to the outside world.

Voice fragments, based on conversations with neurodiverse individuals in the Netherlands, move through and alongside the music: at times complementary, at times abrasive, at times elusive. The spatial use of electronics intensifies this experience, placing the listener within a constantly shifting sound field where clarity and overstimulation alternate.

Spectrum unfolds as a series of states, from doubt and inner tension to escalation and reordering, making tangible how behaviour often arises from intensity and adaptation rather than unwillingness. In doing so, the work raises questions not only about listening, but also about perception: about the tendency toward quick interpretation and the lack of space for what is not immediately understood.

Jesse van Meer of Stichting Donatues, who presents the evening in Tilburg, connects this theme to the foundation’s practice:

“For us, this concert is a meaningful moment where talent, recognition, and creativity can come together. It reflects what we do at Stichting Donatues: not focusing on labels or diagnoses, but on who you are, what you experience, and what you need. Bryan has translated this in a remarkable way into music.”

With Mavericks, the New European Ensemble creates a space in which new perspectives are not only presented, but truly experienced, an invitation to listen beyond the familiar.

SPECTRUM: Neurodiversity as a Creative Force will be presented from 16 to 18 April 2026 in Enschede, Tilburg, and The Hague.