New year, new BIRDsessions residency! This time, Diana Dzhabbar takes us into the world of music: how beautifully music from different cultures and genres can come together, but also how music brings people together.

Diana Dzhabbar is a 23-year-old Amsterdam-based, Ukrainian-born multi-instrumentalist, beatmaker, and producer. Diana's musical influences include Cannonball Adderley, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, A Tribe Called Quest, Slum Village, Q-Tip, and J Dilla, and she is studying at the Amsterdam Conservatory with great saxophone players like Simon Rigter, Jasper Blom, and Ben van Gelder. Besides saxophone, Diana also plays flute, clarinet, and keyboards.

Despite Diana's relatively short stay in the Netherlands so far, she has already collaborated with artists like Benjamin Herman, Peter Beets, Han Bennink, Ernst Glerum, and Jose James. She is currently working on her first EP, which will be released this summer.

What do you think of the initiative of the residency?

I think it’s a super cool idea and I'm really happy to be a part of it! I've just wrapped up The Nest project at BIRD, which I thought was awesome. For me, it will be quite similar because every week I bring new people, some of whom I haven’t even met yet. It's really fun to build a network in this way and I love that BIRD does this. I am so looking forward to it!

What was the reason you said yes when asked for the residency?

It was actually without thinking! I just found it so cool to be involved and to be at BIRD because I'm here very often. I think it’s a super fun place to be free, be more open, try new things, and not be afraid that someone will judge you.

What do you hope to gain from this experience?

With the residency, I have more time to think about which instruments/music I will bring each week or which people I will call to play with. I'm also challenging myself in a certain way: I’ve chosen music I've never played before, but I want to try and see how it goes. At The Nest it was a bit different because we had to write music and had a deadline, so we had certain constraints. Here I also have some limitations, but I have more freedom to choose what I want to do and the kind of music I want to play. Usually, it will be music from different cultures and different genres.

Do you have a concept in mind?

I have chosen the name ‘What is this thing called music?’ for my residency. I want to show the beauty and difference of each genre and culture. I'm going to do some Brazilian music, some funk, and some music from my favourite saxophonists (who all have a different vibe). The main thing I want to convey through the residency are myself and the other players. Through music, I want to show the personality of the musicians. It’s all about human connection in music and how, through music, we can show the beauty of things like love and friendship.

What do you think of the music scene in Rotterdam?

It's really enormous and diverse. You can basically go to any concert and listen to any genre. Especially here in BIRD, I really love BIRD for their open-minded vibe. They are open to seeing and inviting new people to play. When I come to Rotterdam to play, I really feel good. In Amsterdam, I also feel good, but it's a different vibe, maybe it's a bit more competitive there. I think people are genuinely open to collaborating with each other. You can try things, suggest things, no one will judge you or say 'we don't do that'. We will find a way to make this idea work. I really appreciate that.

… Coming over?

Then block the next (free) Wednesday evenings. And don't forget your instruments!

• Wed 04 January: My Favourite Thing
• Wed 11 January: Musica Bonita
• Wed 18 January: Power of Women
• Wed 25 January: Let’s Get Funky!