“Blonk becomes a contemporary Bruckner of sound poetry, it’s not just Jaap Blonk’s performances that are virtuosic and remarkable, but his compositional vision.” – MusicWorks
Internationally celebrated avant-garde vocalist and poet Jaap Blonk will be giving a solo performance on October 17th at the Central Okanagan United Church in downtown Kelowna. This concert is the forty-eighth installment of the Skin And Bones Music Series – an Okanagan Arts Award nominated concert series dedicated to the presentation of experimental music in the Okanagan.
Admission $25 ($20 for students and Alternator members) (+fees).
@ Central Okanagan United Church ( 721 Bernard Avenue, Kelowna)
Doors @6:30pm. Performance begins @7pm.
Tickets available at the door, subject to availability.
Hailing from the Netherlands, Jaap is a self-taught composer, performer, and poet who has performed all over the world and has worked with many other musicians including Mats Gustafsson, Joan La Barbara, and The Ex. Jaap performs with an almost childlike freedom underpinned by a virtuosic compositional sense. While generating an array of inconceivable sounds with his voice, Jaap will often manually manipulate his face or throat for further effect, creating a performance that is both startling and comical.
Jaap has made numerous recordings for VICTO, Monotype Records, and his own self-made record label Kontrans.
Also on the bill is improvisational vocalist and experimental sound artist Jessie Rivest. She has collaborated with Tanya Tagaq and Free Play, as well as major choral and interdisciplinary productions including Game of Thrones: Music is Coming and the Queen Elizabeth II Commonwealth Tour. Jessie’s compositions have been performed internationally, and her 2025 public sound art exhibition PSOUNDS, commissioned by the City of Kelowna, explored listening as a vital skill for navigating change.