Isaline Claeys |

International Relations

MusMA is a platform for new music, created for young composers. Composers of the new generation, masters of the new era take a flight to present their work abroad. European Festivals join forces to develop a platform to welcome this new, unknown contemporary music. 10 and soon 15 major European festivals, with the support of the European Union, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the European Festival Association (EFA) pitch these contemporary composers beyond the borders, straight into the air.

The enthusiasm was wide-spread and MusMA decided to go on with a strong conviction that the system works; composers, musicians, festival directors and radio representatives are all focused on the same objective: giving a valuable platform to contemporary art music in the middle of a traditional repertoire.

The system is as follows: 10 compositions are commissioned in the frame of an artistic theme
-- MusMA II | 2011-2012 Liszt & Landscape
-- MusMA III | 2012-2013 Exoticism in Music
-- MusMA IV | 2013-2014 Man and music in the different stages of life

Festivals program 5 compositions into their concerts which are recorded by the radio stations and MusMA assures that every composition is performed 5 times abroad. So this year each of the composers has been commissioned by their respective festival to compose a piece for piano in the frame of “Liszt and Landscape” and the pieces will be performed at each festival by renowned local pianists. The full list of the composers and their commissioned compositions is as follows:

Andrea Padova - Waterscape in motion – commissioned by Festival Emilia Romagna | IT
João Godinho - Fogo Posto (Arson) – commissioned by Festival Estoril | PT
Bozidar Obradinovic - Postman Cheval – commissioned by BEMUS / Jugoconcert | RS
Thomas Smetryns - On the Nature of Program Music – commissioned by Flanders Festival/KlaraFestival | BE
Marcell Dargay - Légendes No. III.<Le pianiste prêche pour soi-même> - commissioned by Hungarofest | HU
Nana Forte - A broken car - commissioned by Ljubljana Festival | SI
Iluminada Pérez Frutos - Al-Azhar -Aromas de leyenda – commissioned by Festival Internacional de Musica y Danza de Granada | ES
Fazli Ohrun Ohron - Music for piano - commissioned by Ankara International Music Festival | TR
Mateusz Ryczek - Sub-deep of the Night (Sub-głębia Nocy) – commissioned by Wratislavia Cantans | PL
Vit Zouhar - Knots for piano – commissioned by Brno Festival | CZ

Master classes, forums and concerts of newly commissioned MusMA pieces took place during the Festival Internacional de Música y Danza de Granada in the so-called MusMA Atelier.
It was like a summit with participants from all four corners of the contemporary classical music world in attendance. Composers had the opportunity to meet the pianists, performers have learned more about the history of the composition they will be playing; radio representatives took the opportunity to take interviews and discover the context of the new pieces; and together with festival directors new formats were designed to open the ears and minds of the audience.

The cultural, academic and media sectors attended the MusMA Atelier and participants included representatives from Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Portugal, Serbia, Belgium, Turkey, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland. A good representation of European countries, including also non member states; next year MusMA even expects to take its first steps in Asia. 

In June 2011, the Musica y Danza de Granada hosted the MusMA Atelier with a group of composers, pianists, radio representatives and festivals. The hill of the Moorish castle overlooking the city below, acted as a backdrop for master classes and discussions, and the participants added performances of MusMA works in the Festival's concert halls.

Composers

The composers who attended the atelier were Thomas Smetryns, Božidar Obradinović, Mateusz Ryczek, Fazli Orhun Orhon, Nana Forte , Marcell Dargay, Andrea Padova, João Godinho, Vit Zouhar and local composer Iluminada Perez Frutos and the pianists involved were Daan Vandewalle, Małgorzata Walentynowicz, Salih Can Gevrek, Lidija Bizjak,  Nina Prešiček, János Palojtay, Joana Gama, Alba Ventura and Enrique Bagaría. During the festival of Granada, pieces commissioned by MusMA were performed by Nina Preiček, Alba Ventura, Salih Can Gevrek and Daan Vandewalle alongside other Liszt recitals performed by Bertrand Chamayou, Alba Ventura and Miriam Gómez-Morán.

Compositions

The ten compositions commissioned by MusMA varied greatly in vocabulary but shared a common topic that was centred around Liszt & Landscape. While the composers were all commissioned to create a work based on the same topic, each was inspired in his or her own way - thereby providing us with a broad spectrum of works. Liszt himself is an inspirational figure; He travelled far and wide, crossing Europe as a virtuoso pianist and as a composer he is remembered for initiating important modern musical developments. Through their own music, the selected composers presented their impressions of the relationship with their surroundings, nature and the landscape, with what they today understand as being their 'environment'. It is difficult to categorize contemporary art music, but the form covers a variety ranging from minimal to experimental music, including some neo-styles and reaching an eclectic musical vocabulary. It has to be said that the MusMA selection offers some musical gems worthy of discovery.

Master classes were held daily during the Atelier . These daily encounters gave the composers an opportunity to present their works individually and the pianists an opportunity to offer their input through their reactions and through interacting with each other. The exchanges resulted in a much deeper understanding of the compositions and the context in which they were composed. This in turn led the performers to feel a stronger sense of involvement and of responsibility. In addition, it provided the radio programmers with a greater understanding of the music and allowed them to create a story around the new compositions that they could present to the radio listeners. They were also able to get to know the composers and their views better and to see the reactions of the pianists, all of which will add value to the broadcasts. Finally, for all the festival organisers, the encounter ensured the quality of the performances planned for the festivals scheduled to take place in their own countries.

There was a vibrant and congenial atmosphere among the participants in the MusMA Atelier. Along with the musical gems, the network of festivals and radio stations was strengthened, giving all great hope for the future of the MusMA programme.

The national radio members of the EBU met in Granada in June 2011 to set up a plan to elaborate their contribution to the MusMA project. They’ll dedicate simultaneously one week to MusMA in their existing programmes on the radio. Formats of the MusMA-minute, MusMA-tune and MusMA-flash will be designed and broadcast all over Europe.

For 2012, the MusMA Atelier is going to take place in Ljubljana | Slovenia, from June 20 to 24. It’s going to be the opportunity to interview and gather material round the next MusMA composers. Pencil these dates into your diary and we'll keep you informed!