Not quite entirely the reason I’m in Amsterdam, but somewhat the reason why exactly this weekend. Jonny Greenwood represented in concert both through one of his compositions being performed, but also the man himself performing? Specifically performing Steve Reich’s Electric Counterpoint? I’m on the plane already. Doesn’t hurt that this keeps up my yearly streak of seeing some kind of Radiohead-associated live performance. The wider programme is also very exciting, as there’s a Bryce Dessner piece also present, a response to Electric Counterpoint based on a Jerry Garcia guitar solo. It’s an impressive piece, neatly being reminiscent of Reich, Dessner, and Garcia all in one go, and expertly performed by Aart Strootman, whose piece Chimes Of Freedom has its world premiere to finish out the first half of the concert. It’s a beautiful thing, watchin an orchestra move as a single body of limbs in sync. Greenwood emerges after intermission in a cardigan to at times hesitantly, at times confidently tackle Electric Counterpoint, before æþm, an evolution of Horror Vacui, receives its Dutch premiere (well, it’s something of note I suppose). It’s a remarkable piece that brings every kind of digital and electronic effect imaginable to life, from pitch shifting to a tremolo pedal. The rest of the orchestra feels like it’s playing a cat and mouse game with Daniel Piero on solo violin, sometimes acting as reverb, sometimes doubling, sometimes mimicking, sometimes overtaking him. There’s a gorgeous tremoloed blossom towards the end of the final movement that swallows you whole. I do my best at stage door, but after a while have to concede defeat. I still manage to have a chat with Hugh Brunt, conductor extraordinaire, and Daniel Piero too. So it’s not all for nothing. God I love classical music in person.