Dutch Classical Talent
Elizabeth Goh (piano)
Pianist Elizabeth Goh presents The Little Blue Notebook, a recital where music, stories, and imagination come together. The starting point is a small blue notebook that has been lost. In this notebook were stories and thoughts of a young, imaginative mind. As Goh attempts to recall the memories, a musical landscape unfolds in which reality and fantasy slowly begin to intertwine.
In this program, Goh alternates between the concert grand piano and the toy piano. That small instrument, with its bright, playful sound, takes on a surprisingly large role in her hands. At times, the toy piano almost sounds like a full-fledged concert instrument. At other times, the grand piano takes on a light, youthful quality. In this way, Goh turns the world of the piano upside down.
The program includes music by composers such as M.C. Escher, Sofia Gubaidulina, and George Crumb. Additionally, brand-new works by Mattias Spee and Appolon Kalamenios will be featured. With unexpected sounds, extended playing techniques, and electronics, the recital creates an experience that sparks curiosity and sometimes even feels a little rough around the edges.
The Little Blue Notebook is more than a traditional piano concert. Music is combined with storytelling and a collaboration with a mime actor. Together, they create a musical narrative that invites the audience to reflect on the role of imagination in a world that sometimes feels unsettled and complex.
Elizabeth Goh was born in Singapore and is known for her sensitive playing and her curious approach to programming. She studies at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam with David Kuyken and Frank van de Laar, while also exploring contemporary repertoire with Ralph van Raat. As a finalist of Dutch Classical Talent 2026/2027, she will further develop this program during a tour of major concert halls in the Netherlands.
With The Little Blue Notebook, Goh demonstrates how music can be a place where memory, fantasy, and new stories come together. A recital that takes you to a wondrous world where nothing is entirely fixed.
With contributions from:
Arthur Buchholz (director)
Ashley Ho (maker/performer)
