Guide to in Belgium
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GUIDE TO C N EMP R RY USI IN BELGIUM CONTENTS PART 1 THE ARTISTS 1.1 COMPOSERS ___________________________________________ 6 1.2 ENSEMBLES ____________________________________________ 8 1.2.a Ensembles specialised in contemporary music ________________ 8 1.2.b Ensembles with great interest in contemporary music __________ 20 1.3 SOLOISTS ______________________________________________ 26 1.3.a Soloists specialised in contemporary music __________________ 26 1.3.b Soloists with great interest in contemporary music ____________ 32 1.4 CONDUCTORS _________________________________________ 33 1.5 ORCHESTRAS ___________________________________________ 36 1.6 CHOIRS ________________________________________________ 37 1.7 MUSIC THEATRE/OPERA _________________________________ 39 PART 2 ORGANISATIONS AND STRUCTURES 2.1 MUSIC ORGANISATIONS ________________________________ 44 2.1.a Associations ____________________________________________ 44 2.1.b Information/documentation/promotion ______________________ 46 2.1.c Laboratories for experimental/electronic music & research _____ 50 2.2 CONCERT ORGANISATIONS _____________________________ 53 2.2.a Festivals ________________________________________________ 53 2.2.b Arts centres & concert halls ________________________________ 57 2.2.c Working spaces _________________________________________ 62 2.3 HIGHER MUSIC EDUCATION _____________________________ 64 2.4 INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS FOR COMPOSITION ______ 66 2.5 MEDIA _________________________________________________ 67 2.6 PUBLISHERS _____________________________________________ 70 2.7 RECORD/DISTRIBUTION COMPANIES _____________________ 71 PART 3 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 3.1 ABOUT THE CULTURAL POLICY ____________________________ 74 3.1.a Flanders ________________________________________________ 75 3.1.b Wallonia-Brussels Federation ______________________________ 76 3.2 INTERESTING READINGS ON CONTEMPORARY MUSIC IN BELGIUM _____________________________________ 78 1 BELGIUM PREFACE On a map of the world Belgium looks smaller than a postage stamp. But a felicitous turn of history has made this region into a crossroads = of different cultures. This is why Belgium is rich in creative talent and overflowing with cultural activities. Music thrives everywhere, what with every city boasting a diversity of concert halls or other interest- Flanders ing locations for concerts, festivals and many small-scale initiatives. + These initiatives have contributed to the growing maturity of the Brussels contemporary music scene in Belgium over recent years. Doors have been opened; a wind of change is blowing. The new guard + refuses to be compartmentalised any longer. Thus a lively and Wallonia exciting future is around the corner in this rapidly changing world. This guide is a supplement to the “ISCM World Music Magazine”, published on the occasion of the ISCM-World Music Days 2012 in Belgium. It offers an introduction to artists and organisations that are representative of the contemporary Belgian music scene. We make no claim to be exhaustive, but an attempt has been made nonethe- less to be as complete as possible by listing those who contribute most significantly to the promotion of contemporary music, both in terms of Belgian and of international repertoire. Belgium is a federal state in the heart also German-speaking part. Each For more profiles of musicians, discographies, updates and further of Europe, comprising 3 regions community is autonomous for matters information on various aspects of the Belgian music scene (all gen- (Flemish, Walloon, Brussels-Capital), such as culture, education, media,… res) as well as a musicological approach to contemporary music in 3 communities (Dutch, Federation and has its own institutions. Brussels, Belgium, please see the following websites: www.flandersmusic.be, Wallonia-Brussels, German), and 4 capital of Belgium and of Flanders www.matrix-new-music.be, www.compositeurs.be, www.idlm.be. language areas (Dutch, French, and as well, is home to the European German-speaking and Brussels as a Commission and many international bilingual area), whose boundaries cultural institutions. Its cultural policy overlap. Flanders is the northern, is taken in charge by the institutions of Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, and the communities. Katrien van Remortel, Marie Paule Wouters — Flanders Music Centre Wallonia the Southern, French- and Bruno De Cat — Forum des Compositeurs 2 3 P RT 1 RT STS .1. CATALOGUES ISCM-Flanders ISCM-Wallonia 1 COMPOSERS contemporary art music catalogue Forum des Compositeurs At the beginning of each new year, In 2002, a special jury was ap- ISCM-Flanders gathers an interna- pointed to select a dozen (young) tional reading committee to select composers in their 30es or 40es amongst the contemporary art music who had proven evidence of highly submissions of the “call for scores” professional achievement, and who the most remarkable pieces with an would be featured on a compilation international potential. Those pieces named “Eclats”. These 13 composers are added to the ISCM-Flanders decided to create an association (le OUTLINES Catalogue: an instrument in the Forum des compositeurs) which then For a comprehensive musicological survey of Flanders and new music we refer international promotion of Flemish welcomed new members in 2006. to texts by musicologists Yves Knockaert, Maarten Beirens and Rudy Tambuyser repertoire. www.iscm-vlaanderen.be on www.flandersmusic.be. Currently the catalogue contains work Listed below are the most active For information about composers in Wallonia-Brussels we refer to books published of the following composers: among them: at Mardaga editions: collection “musique-musicologie” (www.mardaga.be), and to the Musiques Nouvelles magazine (in French only). Brewaeys Luc (1959) Bosse Denis (1960) Cox Boudewijn (1965) de Jaer Baudouin (1960) BIOGRAPHIES De Baerdemacker Kris (1972) De Mey Thierry (1956) (1959) (1967) Biographies of living composers can be found on the following websites: Defoort Kris De Putter Renaud — composers from the Flemish community Henderickx Wim (1962) Deleuze Jean-Pierre (1954) www.matrix-new-music.be Janssens Daan (1983) Dessy Jean-Paul (1963) www.flandersmusic.be Neyrinck Frederik (1985) Dunkelman Stephan (1956) www.cebedem.be Nuyts Frank (1957) Fafchamps Jean-Luc (1960) — composers from the French-speaking community (1979) (1968) www.compositeurs.be Prins Stefan Fourgon Michel www.cebedem.be Rathé Filip (1966) Gobert Gilles (1971) — composers of acousmatic music Roels Hans (1971) Kissine Victor (1953) http://electrodoc.musiques-recherches.be Sommereyns Noor (1982) Ledoux Claude (1960) Tassyns Jelle (1979) Mernier Benoît (1964) WORKING LISTS Van Camp Bram (1980) Pousseur Denis (1958) (1961) (1955) An important part of The Matrix New Music Centre database is devoted to Van Daele Hans Rens Jean-Marie Flemish music. www.matrix-new-music.be/en/documentation/catalog Van Eycken Stefan (1975) Todoroff Todor (1963) Van Herck Bert (1971) Zhang Hao-fu (1952) The database of CeBeDem contains working lists of affiliated composers. Van Parys Annelies (1975) www.cebedem.be/en/works Vanhecke Bart (1964) Vermote Petra (1968) The database of Forum Des Compositeurs will publish working lists of all living (1957) French speaking composers. www.compositeurs.be Verstockt Serge 6 7 .2 1 ENSEMBLES Mangalam! 1.2.a nsembles specialised in E ontemporary CMusic Letter Piece Company © Kristien Verhoeyen gartha Bram Bossier, viola M: +32 (0)475.55.00.84 A — Specialisation: Agartha operates on the Agartha basis of the instruments bayan/accordion Jules Besmestraat 47 and viola. Programmes range across a gamut BE - 1081 Brussels from solo repertoire to duo, trio and quartet. [email protected] Label: Sub Rosa. www.agartha-ensemble.be Ictus In a unique ensemble such as Agartha, with the bayan and the viola as main ton’ instruments (played by An Raskin and Armide Bram Bossier), one can expect some- A thing quite adventurous and revelato- & Specialisation: cello & piano. From the canon- ry. To offer a wide variety of projects, ical contemporary music up to premieres, and Agartha combines various instruments sporadically music from other periods. with a specifi c musical tradition and history. Furthermore the ensemble tries Aton’&Armide was created as two to fi nd a balance between the classical people unifi ed their desire to explore world and contemporary culture by recent classical music, standard rep- Musiques Nouvelles means of new compositions, and by ertoire as well as premieres. From © Isabelle Francaix exploring common ground in different the start there was no other aim than artistic disciplines. to satisfy curiosity, but today A’&A is an ensemble with variable geometry, Nadar 8 9 ollectief focusing on links. What’s a link? One constantly looking for collaborative Eric Sleichim, artistic director [email protected] C eFLEXible explanation is: ‘a thin wild bank of ventures with composers, sound artists Veerle Vervoort, manager r land splitting 2 cultivated patches’. and specialised performers. M: +32 (0)473.24.35.85 Specialisation: instant composed music. [email protected] That’s what they do: to walk a path Label: Amirani Records. that connects cultural aspects such Jutta Troch, artistic direction — BL!NDMAN as music, a word, a painting, or [email protected] reFLEXible focuses on Instant Com - M: +32 (0)484.73.79.40 Sainctelettesquare 18 anything which makes us curious. Fabian Coomans, artistic direction BE - 1000 Brussels posed Music, often in combination with The musical starting