Paris/Budapest, May 1, 2018. – A flagship project of the International Music Council (IMC), the IRC was launched in 1954 and will be hosted this year for the first time in Hungary, co-organized with Bartok Radio – MTVA.
Over the past decades, the IRC has become the most important platform for the promotion of contemporary music via radio broadcast while offering a unique forum for professional exchange among radio music producers and presenters. Its central purpose, supported by the European Broadcasting Union, is to provide contemporary musical creations the largest possible number of broadcasts worldwide.
During the event in Budapest, contemporary music producers from some 30 national radio networks from four continents will present some 60 works composed within the five years preceding the Rostrum. After having listened to these works, the assembly of delegates will select and recommend the most distinctive works in two categories: ‘general’ and ‘young composers under 30’. These and other works will be presented in concerts and broadcast during the year following the event by the participating and other interested radio stations. In this way, these works will reach billions of listeners.
For instance, the works presented at the 2016 Rostrum received more than 700 broadcasts – one of the highest recorded broadcast rates ever – by the participating radio networks and other broadcasting organizations from Argentina to Australia.
Moreover, since the launch of the Streaming Week in 2015, presented works have been offered on freely accessible streaming more than 7000 times.
In its 65-year history, the IRC has revealed the emergence of many of the world’s most gifted composers whilst they are still young. Famous composers such as Krzysztof Penderecki, Luigi Nono and Murray Schafer, had their first international successes when they were presented at the Rostrum.
Besides the listening sessions, during their stay in Budapest delegates will be offered opportunities for exchange and professional development and will be invited to attend various events showcasing the Hungarian vibrant music scene.
The Rostrum sessions will be chaired by Evert van Berkel, Producer at Swedish Radio Ltd.
This year’s selection of the Rostrum will be announced at a press conference to be held on May 18th at 16:30 at the Old Radio House (Magyar Rádió Márványterme) in Budapest.
For media enquiries:
Davide Grosso, International Music Council
d.grosso@imc-cim.org