Catching Cultures stands for connection through music

We bring together music traditions and people from all corners of the world

Catching Cultures Orchestra is an intercultural orchestra from Utrecht. Our organization of committed musicians with diverse cultural backgrounds, in particular newcomers, creates high-quality intercultural musical products for a diverse audience.

Our orchestra consists of about 25 musicians with different backgrounds. The core of the orchestra includes Syrian, Chinese, Kurdish, Nigerian, Iraqi, Nepalese, Ecuadorian, Palestinian, Venezuelan and Dutch musicians. Among them are a number of renowned professionals, ambitious semi-pros and enthusiastic amateurs, of all ages, genders and orientations. Guest musicians, crew, substitutes, arrangers and composers have roots in Ukraine, Morocco, Turkey, Latvia and Jordan. We are proud of our unique mix of musicians and employees.

We play everywhere; from festivals to community centers and from clubs to concert halls and do so in all kinds of formations; as an energetic party band, intimate duo, trio or quartet and of course as a grand, overwhelming orchestra. But we always do it with the aim of ​​bringing different musical cultures and people together.

Colorful stories from different cultures told in new, intercultural music

Catching Cultures stands for connection through music

Innovation and community go hand in hand

Sometimes we play a modest reworking of an Arabic traditional, other times we indulge in a danceable Afrobeat jam. We play just as easily an experimental composition based on Chinese, Kurdish and Baltic folk music as an Arabic party song that would not be out of place at the larger pop festivals in Europe.

In the meantime, the various musicians get to know each other and each other's music better and better. CCO is therefore more than an orchestra: CCO is a community. Everyone can participate during jam sessions, workshops, open rehearsals and neighbourhood festivals. A number of members also regularly give lessons at (music) schools and collaborate with other companies and artists of all levels several times a year. CCO can bring the world star to the neighbourhood centre and the local brass band to TivoliVredenburg like no other. We tell the story of the orchestra, the orchestra members and the music through our own compositions and during our theatre performances.

At the same time, the organisation stands for artistic innovation. CCO wants to mix diverse music cultures respectfully but innovatively and show and hear the result at festivals and in concert halls, in varying line-ups. For example during our own annual festival in TivoliVredenburg. And we help the professional musicians among the newcomers on their way to do more with their music.

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Governance

Code Cultural Governance
The foundation endorses and applies the Principles and Best Practice provisions of the governance model as
described in the Code Cultural Governance. Rules indicate which tasks, responsibilities and authorities there are and by which bodies and/or persons these are fulfilled. The CCO has an independent board.

Code Diversity and Inclusion
Diversity and inclusion are an inherent part of the history of the CCO and are at the roots of the orchestra's own activities and in the collaboration with others. They also serve as a guideline for future changes in staff and board, which will also enrich the organization and board. The locations in the city where CCO performs are diverse and spread across the city, each with their own reach and accessibility. This also applies to the many music groups and makers in the city with whom the CCO collaborates. The CCO is active in making the locations accessible. At the CCO Festival in TivoliVredenburg, transport is organised for audiences that depend on third parties to attend activities, such as children, non-mobile elderly people and residents of asylum seekers' centres.

Fair Practice Code
The CCO implements the Fair Practice Code as a guideline for compensation and remuneration. We work with market-conform rates for the staff and for performances and rehearsals of the orchestra. In anticipation of an increase from 2025, €350 per performance and €150 per rehearsal have been budgeted.
The Fair Practice Code is also used for compensation for services for the orchestra by performers outside the organisation. For external clients, the CCO uses the Fair Practice Code in determining compensation for musicians and other employees involved. For CCO, the Fair
Practice Code is more than just ensuring that everyone involved is correctly compensated. CCO also strives to ensure that those within the orchestra who still have to build a life in music can count on assignments from both the orchestra and our network.

Sustainability
CCO attaches value to a small ecological footprint. We advise our musicians and crew for both performances and rehearsals to travel by public transport and to carpool as much as possible. We ask musicians to bring their own drinking bottles on stage and offer largely vegetarian catering when necessary.