Donemus Publishing proudly presents many composers at the Dutch Composers Day / Dag van de Componist, amongst the others: Bianca Bongers, Brendan Faegre, Jan-Peter de Graaff (The Hague City Composer), Rieteke Hölscher, Simeon ten Holt, Bram Kortekaas, Yannis Kyriakides, Vanessa Lann, Georgia Nicolau, Martijn Padding, Jesse Passenier, Celia Swart, Marion von Tilzer, Rick van Veldhuizen, Saskia Venegas, Liselotte Westerterp and Lucas Wiegerink (Arnhem City Composer).
The second annual Dutch Composers Day will take place on Saturday, June 17, 2023, with an exciting, record-breaking event. The New Music NOW Express, a unique music train, will traverse over 347 kilometers across the Netherlands, beginning in Amsterdam and stopping in Amersfoort, Arnhem, Den Bosch, and The Hague before concluding in Utrecht. The organizers aim to establish a world record for the longest train journey featuring new music. Throughout the festival, audiences can enjoy over 100 concerts and performances across 12 cities, showcasing new music and highlighting the talents of over 100 composers based in the Netherlands. NPO Klassiek, a renowned radio station, will broadcast new Dutch music throughout the day. The festival is an initiative of the network and platform New Music NOW, which will report live with online TV.
With the annual Dutch Composers Day, New Music NOW wants to show the value and pleasure of new music and honour the composers of this music. The festival shows that new music is versatile and can be heard not only in concert halls and theatres but also in bell towers, on the streets, in parks, at railway stations, and in living rooms. The format of the Dutch Composers Day is unique in Europe.
This year, a “City Composer” has been appointed for one day in each city, contributing to the festival with new compositions. The lineup includes Meriç Artaç (Amsterdam), Noëmi Schermann (Amersfoort), Lucas Wiegerink (Arnhem), Bart van Dongen (Den Bosch), Jan-Peter de Graaff (The Hague), and Jonás Bisquert (Utrecht). Martin Fondse, appointed Composer Laureate of the Netherlands for two years, will travel with the music train, passing the baton to each city composer through a newly composed piece at every stop.
The New Music NOW program is a nationwide initiative that showcases over 100 concerts from a diverse range of partners, including choirs, ensembles, music associations, conservatories, music schools, composers, publishers, and producers. Some of the notable partners include the brass players of the Concertgebouw Orchestra, Holland Festival, TivoliVredenburg, Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ, de Doelen, Festival Dag in de Branding, Festival Classique, November Music, and Gaudeamus. Each partner presents its program in its respective city or region. The New Music NOW program facilitates national coordination, collective promotion, and a connecting program.
Composers in the crosshairs of our attention