50 years ago, the riot that broke out at the Stonewall Inn, New York, during the night of June 28th 1969 made history by sparking a sequence of events that led to Pride protests and parades all over the world to this day. While Stonewall was definitely not the first riot against police violence and heteronormativity, the anger, demonstrations, mobilisation and sense of community it created made it an important touchstone of queer liberation. Continue reading “Stonewall 50”
One year on PrEP
Today marks exactly a year since I started taking PrEP, and I just wanted to say that it’s given me so much peace of mind — so much more than I even imagined it would. Continue reading “One year on PrEP”
‘Harriet’ listed in NRC top classical events 2018 by NRC
The production of Harriet by Hilda Paredes with Muziektheater Transparant which I premiered in October 2018 has been named as one of the best classical events of 2018 by Dutch newspaper NRC. Continue reading “‘Harriet’ listed in NRC top classical events 2018 by NRC”
World AIDS Day
Today is World AIDS Day (symbolised by the red ribbon). With the amazing tools and medication at our disposal nowadays, we have the possibility to *end* the spread of HIV in our lifetimes. Education, awareness, testing, and fighting HIV stigma worldwide, as well as providing free and unrestricted access to protection (condoms and PrEP) and treatment (TasP ‘treatment as prevention’) are paramount in achieving this. No-one should be shamed for having the virus, as treatment means they can’t pass it on and the virus is no longer an STI, but a chronic and manageable condition. #UequalsU (Undetectable = Untransmittable) Continue reading “World AIDS Day”
How I finally became Manoj
This is the most important and difficult piece I’ve ever written.
Content warning: suicide, depression, mention of eating disorder
In the past couple of years, I have conducted the BBC Philharmonic in concert and the Concertgebouw Orchestra in rehearsals, I have won and fulfilled one of the most coveted young conductor posts in the world (the Junior Fellowship at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester), I have co-organised and officiated at the funerals of my father, my grandmother and my cousin, I’ve had a second coming out as pansexual, genderqueer and polyamorous, I’ve become somewhat of an activist regarding the damaging stigma associated with HIV and PrEP, and even managed to successfully move house several times. Yet, writing and sharing this text has, perhaps, been more challenging than any of these things. Continue reading “How I finally became Manoj”
Sonst hat mein Jesus nichts getan
As it is ‘Good Friday’, I wanted to share some brief thoughts about a specific moment in Willem Mengelberg’s recording of the Bach St. Matthew Passion. I don’t love all of the recording, but there are some amazingly beautiful moments and this is definitely my favourite.
It’s the tiny arioso Er hat uns allen wohlgetan just before the famous aria Aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben. The moment I mean in particular happens near the end of the arioso.