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Black Rainbow
Various composers

Julija Hartig

Black Rainbow

Price: € 19.95
Format: CD
Label: Challenge Classics
UPC: 0608917200447
Catnr: CC 720044
Release date: 16 January 2026
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1 CD
€ 19.95
Preorder
 
Label
Challenge Classics
UPC
0608917200447
Catalogue number
CC 720044
Release date
16 January 2026
Album
Artist(s)
Composer(s)
EN
DE

About the album

Black Rainbow is a deeply personal musical journey in which violinist and vocalist Julija Hartig explores questions of belonging, identity, and heritage. The album connects her multicultural roots—Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, and Austrian—to her Yugoslavian upbringing, weaving a narrative about migration and ancestral memory. The title work, co-created with Akim Moiseenkov, fuses violin, voice, and live electronics to tell the story of three generations of female migration through sound, using folk elements, recorded voices of her ancestors, and electronic textures. This composition serves as both a meditation on the flow of culture and a sonic bridge between past and present.

Through the music of Leoš Janáček, Fazıl Say, and George Enescu, Hartig continues this exploration of roots and renewal. Janáček’s folkloric sonata evokes her sense of “home,” while Say’s modern improvisational language resonates with her Balkan background. Enescu’s Romanian-inspired sonata becomes a revelation of shared ancestry and emotional kinship. Together with pianist Reineke Broekhans, her long-time musical partner and soulmate, Hartig turns Black Rainbow into more than an album—it is a reflection on the “Ancestral Code,” showing that wherever we go, the sound of our heritage remains within us

Black Rainbow ist eine zutiefst persönliche musikalische Reise, in der die Geigerin und Sängerin Julija Hartig Fragen nach Zugehörigkeit, Identität und Herkunft erkundet. Das Album verbindet ihre multikulturellen Wurzeln – ungarische, tschechische, slowakische und österreichische – mit ihrer jugoslawischen Prägung und webt eine Erzählung über Migration und das Gedächtnis der Ahnen. Das titelgebende Werk, gemeinsam mit Akim Moiseenkov geschaffen, vereint Violine, Stimme und Live-Elektronik, um die Geschichte von drei Generationen weiblicher Migration durch Klang zu erzählen – mit Volksmusik-Elementen, aufgenommenen Stimmen ihrer Vorfahren und elektronischen Klangstrukturen. Diese Komposition ist zugleich eine Meditation über den Fluss der Kultur und eine klangliche Brücke zwischen Vergangenheit und Gegenwart.

Durch die Musik von Leoš Janáček, Fazıl Say und George Enescu setzt Hartig diese Erforschung von Wurzeln und Erneuerung fort. Janáčeks folkloristische Sonate ruft ihr Gefühl von „Zuhause“ hervor, während Says moderne, improvisatorische Sprache mit ihrem balkanischen Hintergrund in Resonanz tritt. Enescus von der rumänischen Volksmusik inspirierte Sonate wird zu einer Offenbarung gemeinsamer Abstammung und emotionaler Verbundenheit.

Gemeinsam mit der Pianistin Reineke Broekhans, ihrer langjährigen musikalischen Partnerin und Seelenverwandten, verwandelt Hartig Black Rainbow in mehr als nur ein Album – es ist eine Reflexion über den „Ancestral Code“, die zeigt, dass, wohin wir auch gehen, der Klang unseres Erbes stets in uns weiterklingt.

Artist(s)

Julija Hartig (violin)

The repertoire of Edison winner Julija Hartig includes pieces from baroque to contemporary music. Her interpretations are characterized by great expressivity and temperament, refined technique, and a warm sensitivity to colour. Her exciting way of playing often led to mutually inspiring collaborations with contemporary composers. Several pieces have been written for and premiered by her. In 2022 as a result of this wonderful phenomenon a CD ‘D a r k V e l v e t’ an autobiography in music was released on the label Challenge Classics. In October 2023 Julija won an Edison Klasiek in the category Newcomers National with her debut album Dark Velvet. Her artistic curiosity led her to a new height of co-composing a piece Black...
more
The repertoire of Edison winner Julija Hartig includes pieces from baroque to contemporary music. Her interpretations are characterized by great expressivity and temperament, refined technique, and a warm sensitivity to colour. Her exciting way of playing often led to mutually inspiring collaborations with contemporary composers. Several pieces have been written for and premiered by her. In 2022 as a result of this wonderful phenomenon a CD ‘D a r k V e l v e t’ an autobiography in music was released on the label Challenge Classics. In October 2023 Julija won an Edison Klasiek in the category Newcomers National with her debut album Dark Velvet. Her artistic curiosity led her to a new height of co-composing a piece Black Rainbow ( Commissioned by the Nederlandse Vioolconcoursen for the Night of the Violin 2025) in collaboration with artist Akim Moiseenkov. Born to a family of musicians, Julija started her first violin lessons at the age of five. As a young talent, she won prizes such as the Festival of Music Schools of Serbia and the Competition of Young Interpreters of Yugoslavia.
After finishing her studies of violin at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad (Yugoslavia), she was engaged as an assistant professor in the class of her former teacher Evgenia Tchugaeva at the same conservatory. Since 1994, Julija lives in The Netherlands, where she studied at the Conservatory of Rotterdam with Professor Ilya Grubert and the Conservatory of Utrecht with Professor Keiko Wataya where she graduated with Cum Laude.
As a soloist, she performed with various orchestras such as The Symphony Orchestra of the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad (Yugoslavia), Chamber Orchestra “Camerata Academica” Novi Sad, Belgrade Strings, St Georges Strings, Radio Symphony Orchestra of Serbia, Brabants Kamer Orkest, The Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic. She has given recitals and chamber music concerts in Yugoslavia, Russia, The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Finland, Australia, and Brazil.
She participated in international festivals such as BEMUS in Belgrade, The Summer Festival in Dubrovnik, Barka Festival of Music from formal Yugoslavia in Amsterdam, The Grachten Festival in Amsterdam, November Music in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, En Plein Public in Breda, Peter de Grote Festival in Groningen, Beethovenfest in Bonn, Festival MiTo - Italy, Ojai Music Festival in USA, International Chamber music festival Joao Pessoa - Brazil.
“Operator” by Florian Maier, written for The Dutch Radio Chamber Philharmonic and violin soloist Julija Hartig, conducted by Micha Hamel on the Dutch Music Days 2009 in October in the Muziekgebouw aan't IJ, Amsterdam, won a recommendation for worldwide broadcast by more than 30 radio stations in Unesco's 2010 Rostrum of Composers.
She recorded for CD labels in the Netherlands and Yugoslavia. In 2010 RTS (Radio Television Serbia) issued 4 CDs of complete works by Ljubica Maric, a composer and artist with whom she had a very close connection, with all the solo violin and chamber music repertoire written by this composer being performed by her.
With pianist Reineke Broekhans, she formed a Duo Hartig-Broekhans which won a prize at an International Chamber Music Competition “Gaetano Zinetti” in 2004.
Since 2003 she has been a member of the virtuoso ensemble The Hungry Gods. With this unique ensemble, she has been active in interdisciplinary projects such as film and theatre.
ROctet, the only string octet in The Netherlands, is another ensemble Julija is a member since 2016. She is also one of the business managers of this ensemble.
Julija is one of the founding members of Splendor Amsterdam, a new creative podium in Amsterdam - winner of the Amsterdam Cultural Prize in 2015. She is also one of the initiators of the LUDWIG collective that won the GRAMMY award with their first CD with Barbara Hannigan in 2018.
Julija Hartig plays a Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume violin (“Ex-Zimmermann”), that is part of the Dutch National Musical Instrument Foundation in the Netherlands.

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Reineke Broekhans (piano)

Reineke Broekhans is a highly dedicated and distinguished pianist, celebrated for her artistry in chamber music and accompaniment. She considers ensemble playing to be a cherished blend of interaction and intimacy, vital both during the rehearsal process and on stage. After graduating cum laude as a soloist from the Brabants Conservatory with Ton Demmers, Reineke has focused entirely on ensemble playing and accompaniment. Inspired by her musical mentor Jan Gruithuyzen, she completed her studies as a chamber musician with distinction at the Conservatory of Rotterdam. Her musical development was further deepened through inspiring masterclasses with renowned musicians such as Willem Brons, Herman Krebbers, and Istvan Parkanyi. Since 2000, Reineke has been a dedicated and inspiring teacher at both the Academy...
more
Reineke Broekhans is a highly dedicated and distinguished pianist, celebrated for her artistry in chamber music and accompaniment. She considers ensemble playing to be a cherished blend of interaction and intimacy, vital both during the rehearsal process and on stage. After graduating cum laude as a soloist from the Brabants Conservatory with Ton Demmers, Reineke has focused entirely on ensemble playing and accompaniment. Inspired by her musical mentor Jan Gruithuyzen, she completed her studies as a chamber musician with distinction at the Conservatory of Rotterdam. Her musical development was further deepened through inspiring masterclasses with renowned musicians such as Willem Brons, Herman Krebbers, and Istvan Parkanyi. Since 2000, Reineke has been a dedicated and inspiring teacher at both the Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Tilburg and Codarts in Rotterdam, where she passionately mentors talented young musicians at the start of their careers. As a performer, she can be heard in numerous ensembles at home and abroad. Since 2000, she has been the committed duo partner of violinist Julija Hartig, a celebrated collaboration that has spanned over two decades.

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Akim Moiseenkov (electronics)

Akim Moiseenkov is a composer and performing artist specializing in electronic music, self-made instruments, and performance arts. His creative work is defined by media exploration and boundary pushing, ranging from  the theatrical to the deeply experimental. His diverse project portfolio includes performing for goats, creating joystickmusic, and offering unique Keytar soloing experiences. Akim’s interdisciplinary work extends to the visual arts, where he has created kinetic art for the  Dutch National Opera and served as an art installation for the Asko Schoenberg ensemble. An accomplished academic, Akim taught at AKI ArtEZ and earned a Master of Music degree cum laude. His unique approach to sound and media has established him as a distinctive voice in contemporary performance and electronic composition.
more
Akim Moiseenkov is a composer and performing artist specializing in electronic music, self-made instruments, and performance arts. His creative work is defined by media exploration and boundary pushing, ranging from the theatrical to the deeply experimental. His diverse project portfolio includes performing for goats, creating joystickmusic, and offering unique Keytar soloing experiences. Akim’s interdisciplinary work extends to the visual arts, where he has created kinetic art for the Dutch National Opera and served as an art installation for the Asko Schoenberg ensemble. An accomplished academic, Akim taught at AKI ArtEZ and earned a Master of Music degree cum laude. His unique approach to sound and media has established him as a distinctive voice in contemporary performance and electronic composition.

less

Composer(s)

Julija Hartig (violin)

The repertoire of Edison winner Julija Hartig includes pieces from baroque to contemporary music. Her interpretations are characterized by great expressivity and temperament, refined technique, and a warm sensitivity to colour. Her exciting way of playing often led to mutually inspiring collaborations with contemporary composers. Several pieces have been written for and premiered by her. In 2022 as a result of this wonderful phenomenon a CD ‘D a r k V e l v e t’ an autobiography in music was released on the label Challenge Classics. In October 2023 Julija won an Edison Klasiek in the category Newcomers National with her debut album Dark Velvet. Her artistic curiosity led her to a new height of co-composing a piece Black...
more
The repertoire of Edison winner Julija Hartig includes pieces from baroque to contemporary music. Her interpretations are characterized by great expressivity and temperament, refined technique, and a warm sensitivity to colour. Her exciting way of playing often led to mutually inspiring collaborations with contemporary composers. Several pieces have been written for and premiered by her. In 2022 as a result of this wonderful phenomenon a CD ‘D a r k V e l v e t’ an autobiography in music was released on the label Challenge Classics. In October 2023 Julija won an Edison Klasiek in the category Newcomers National with her debut album Dark Velvet. Her artistic curiosity led her to a new height of co-composing a piece Black Rainbow ( Commissioned by the Nederlandse Vioolconcoursen for the Night of the Violin 2025) in collaboration with artist Akim Moiseenkov. Born to a family of musicians, Julija started her first violin lessons at the age of five. As a young talent, she won prizes such as the Festival of Music Schools of Serbia and the Competition of Young Interpreters of Yugoslavia.
After finishing her studies of violin at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad (Yugoslavia), she was engaged as an assistant professor in the class of her former teacher Evgenia Tchugaeva at the same conservatory. Since 1994, Julija lives in The Netherlands, where she studied at the Conservatory of Rotterdam with Professor Ilya Grubert and the Conservatory of Utrecht with Professor Keiko Wataya where she graduated with Cum Laude.
As a soloist, she performed with various orchestras such as The Symphony Orchestra of the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad (Yugoslavia), Chamber Orchestra “Camerata Academica” Novi Sad, Belgrade Strings, St Georges Strings, Radio Symphony Orchestra of Serbia, Brabants Kamer Orkest, The Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic. She has given recitals and chamber music concerts in Yugoslavia, Russia, The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Finland, Australia, and Brazil.
She participated in international festivals such as BEMUS in Belgrade, The Summer Festival in Dubrovnik, Barka Festival of Music from formal Yugoslavia in Amsterdam, The Grachten Festival in Amsterdam, November Music in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, En Plein Public in Breda, Peter de Grote Festival in Groningen, Beethovenfest in Bonn, Festival MiTo - Italy, Ojai Music Festival in USA, International Chamber music festival Joao Pessoa - Brazil.
“Operator” by Florian Maier, written for The Dutch Radio Chamber Philharmonic and violin soloist Julija Hartig, conducted by Micha Hamel on the Dutch Music Days 2009 in October in the Muziekgebouw aan't IJ, Amsterdam, won a recommendation for worldwide broadcast by more than 30 radio stations in Unesco's 2010 Rostrum of Composers.
She recorded for CD labels in the Netherlands and Yugoslavia. In 2010 RTS (Radio Television Serbia) issued 4 CDs of complete works by Ljubica Maric, a composer and artist with whom she had a very close connection, with all the solo violin and chamber music repertoire written by this composer being performed by her.
With pianist Reineke Broekhans, she formed a Duo Hartig-Broekhans which won a prize at an International Chamber Music Competition “Gaetano Zinetti” in 2004.
Since 2003 she has been a member of the virtuoso ensemble The Hungry Gods. With this unique ensemble, she has been active in interdisciplinary projects such as film and theatre.
ROctet, the only string octet in The Netherlands, is another ensemble Julija is a member since 2016. She is also one of the business managers of this ensemble.
Julija is one of the founding members of Splendor Amsterdam, a new creative podium in Amsterdam - winner of the Amsterdam Cultural Prize in 2015. She is also one of the initiators of the LUDWIG collective that won the GRAMMY award with their first CD with Barbara Hannigan in 2018.
Julija Hartig plays a Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume violin (“Ex-Zimmermann”), that is part of the Dutch National Musical Instrument Foundation in the Netherlands.

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Press

Play album Play album
01.
Sonata for violin and piano: I. Con moto
05:43
(Leoš Janáček) Julija Hartig, Reineke Broekhans
02.
Sonata for violin and piano: II. Ballada
05:51
(Leoš Janáček) Julija Hartig, Reineke Broekhans
03.
Sonata for violin and piano: III. Allegretto
02:36
(Leoš Janáček) Julija Hartig, Reineke Broekhans
04.
Sonata for violin and piano: IV. Adagio
05:14
(Leoš Janáček) Reineke Broekhans, Julija Hartig
05.
Violin and piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 7: I. Melancholy - Andante Mysterioso
03:42
(Fazil Say) Julija Hartig, Reineke Broekhans
06.
Violin and piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 7: II. Grotesque - Moderato Scherzando
02:18
(Fazil Say) Reineke Broekhans, Julija Hartig
07.
Violin and piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 7: III. Perpetuum mobile - Presto
01:57
(Fazil Say) Reineke Broekhans, Julija Hartig
08.
Violin and piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 7: IV. Anonymus - Andante
04:07
(Fazil Say) Julija Hartig, Reineke Broekhans
09.
Violin and piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 7: V. Melancholy (Da Capo) - Andante Mysterioso
04:20
(Fazil Say) Reineke Broekhans, Julija Hartig
10.
Violin and piano Sonata No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 25, dans le caractère populaire roumain: I. Moderato malinconico
09:46
(George Enescu) Reineke Broekhans, Julija Hartig
11.
Violin and piano Sonata No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 25, dans le caractère populaire roumain: II. Andante sostenuto e misterioso
09:11
(George Enescu) Reineke Broekhans, Julija Hartig
12.
Violin and piano Sonata No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 25, dans le caractère populaire roumain: III. Allegro con brio, ma non troppo mosso
08:34
(George Enescu) Reineke Broekhans, Julija Hartig
13.
Black Rainbow - Quo Vadis Homini for violin, voice and live electronics
14:58
(Julija Hartig, Akim Moiseenkov) Julija Hartig, Akim Moiseenkov, Julia Kovach, Julia Biszak
14.
Rain
01:34
(Julija Hartig, Akim Moiseenkov) Julija Hartig, Akim Moiseenkov, Julia Kovach, Julia Biszak
show all tracks

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