Since 2018, the participation project Unlimited Ensemble forms a collaboration between Oranjewoud Festival and Ateliers Majeur around a collective of musicians with and without a (mental) disability.
Members of the Unlimited Ensemble rehearse on various musical instruments and learn to improvise together. The result is often amazing, there is a lot of musicality among the members of the group. So much that they also enjoy playing together with some classical and/or other musicians. The combination of classical or electronic music and improvising on it with sound material, leads to a unique interplay. This joint form proves the special property of music, namely that it connects.
From the conviction that everyone is musical and can express their emotions with accessible instruments, an inclusive ensemble was created in 2017, bringing together people with and without (intellectual) disabilities. The focus here is the interplay of rhythm, sound and melody - elements that naturally find their own structure through imagination. By listening attentively to each other, from powerful dynamics to the subtle play of silence, a unique musical experience is created in which individual creativity is given additional space.
The process of working and playing together led to a presentation that was not based on predetermined forms, but rather came about by experimenting together with the musical material. One of the first performances took place at the 2018 Oranjewoud Festival , where the ensemble's spontaneous creativity was evident.
The collaboration with professional musicians brought an extra dimension to the whole. With their own musical language and intuition, they contributed to a complete concept of ensemble playing, in which spontaneity and beauty go hand in hand. By improvising, the musicians came up with sparkling new sounds again and again - proof that equality in both musical playing and appreciation for all is central. After all, who is really without limitations?
Later, the ensemble expanded to include people with physical disabilities and electronic instruments were introduced. This opened new challenges and enriched the possibilities of making music in innovative ways.
In recent years, the Unlimited Ensemble has performed regularly at Oranjewoud Festival and has been part of inclusive theater programs, culminating in accompanying dance performances. In 2025, we continue to break new ground. The players are increasingly in tune with each other and work together in innovative ways by combining different instrument groups. The result: sounds that have a fascinating, almost meditative effect on the audience.