interviews

Martijn Buser (Gaudeamus): ‘New music is worth being discovered’

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From 6 to 10 September, Utrecht will be the global centre of contemporary classical music. From its inception in 1946, the Gaudeamus festival shows what young composers of today are working on. The main part of the programme is new music, mostly world premieres by composers and creators under 40. A conversation with Martijn Buser, artistic director of the festival. …

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Annelies Van Parys: my “illness” is that I am always trying different things

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On 27 (Ghent) and 28 May (Antwerp), the world premiere of Annelies Van Parys’ piano concerto will take place. She has developed an impressive portfolio of chamber music, orchestral works, vocal and music theatre in which timbre is central. A conversation about the creation of this concerto, the challenges of contemporary classical music and about her teacher Luc Brewaeys. A …

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Alfonso Gómez paints Morton Feldman with light and air

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The Spanish-German pianist Alfonso Gómez has dared to put Morton Feldman’s last three piano works on CD. His interpretation is remarkably light and sparkling, adding a new element to the meditative sound world of this American composer. The piano was the favourite instrument of Morton Feldman (1926 – 1987). “What is the difference between an orchestra and a piano? A …

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Heleen Van Haegenborgh and the musicality of the number Pi

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A conversation about nylon wire, percussionists and controlled freedom Heleen Van Haegenborgh is a composer, pianist, improviser and performer. She does not allow herself to be trapped in specific disciplines or musical genres. She collaborates with visual artists, theatre and film makers. For ZINDERING, a festival in the framework of sweltering silence that starts this week in Mechelen, Belgium, she …

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André Laporte: colourful, curious and involved

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The éminence grise of contemporary Belgian music is celebrating his birthday This November , the Flemish branch of the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) was celebrating the 90th birthday of its honorary member André Laporte. Composer, musicologist, teacher and philosopher Laporte, tireless promoter of contemporary Belgian music, is clearly in the mood. Time for a chat. By Wynold Verweij …

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“Shostakovich captivates as a person and as a musician”

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Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 – 1975) is a richly varied, fascinating composer. He lived and worked in structural uncertainty, struggled with mixed and unpredictable reactions from public and government, but remained in Russia against all odds. And above all he was a human being with a warm family and inspiring friendships. Festival 20∙21, which starts on Monday 27 September in Leuven, …

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