Puma Court stands as a study of texture and sonority, shaped through the unique pairing of two double basses and two hardanger fiddles. Composed by Jon Heilbron, whose practice bridges modern settings and folk tradition, these works were born from collaborative sessions in Norway and Berlin. The project’s genesis traces back to a duo concert with Norwegian bassist Håkon Thelin, inspiring Heilbron to expand his ideas to a quartet format with the addition of hardanger fiddlers Helga Myhr and Rasmus Kjorstad.

The two pieces- “Puma Court One” and “Puma Court Two” - offer contrasting yet complementary perspectives on ensemble interaction. Heilbron’s writing avoids linear development, instead pursuing a spacious aesthetic where quiet energies are slowly cultivated and minute variations yield unfolding patterns. The double basses provide a depth and warmth, underpinning the shimmering harmonics and delicate drone work of the hardanger fiddles. Influences of Scandinavian folk traditions are perceptible, but the structure is thoroughly contemporary, marked by restraint and patience.

The album is distinguished by its sense of balance between the robustness of its instrumentation and the fragility of gesture: timbres merge and separate, acoustic shadows move across the sound field, and the music sustains a haunting, understated presence throughout. Rather than overt drama or climactic arrival, Puma Court achieves a gentle complexity, suggesting landscape, movement, and memory through a finely tuned collective practice. Puma Court is both immersive and elusive - a composition that rewards attention to the smallest changes in color and inflection. The ensemble’s synergy and sensitivity bring out the full expressive range of these hybrid instruments, making the recording a quietly remarkable entry in the intersection of experimental chamber music and folk-inspired sonic exploration.