Vilnius (Lithuania), May 17, 2024 – Totentanz (2022) for countertenor, orchestra and electronics by Polish composer Rafał Ryterski and Rocailles de l’après-vie…(2023) for large ensemble by young Dutch composer Thomas van Dun (b. 1995) are the works selected by radio music producers participating in the 70th International Rostrum of Composers (IRC) held in Vilnius (Lithuania), from 14 to 17 May 2024.
A flagship programme of the International Music Council, the IRC took place for the first time in its history in Lithuania thanks to the invitation of LRT Klasika and in cooperation with the Lithuanian Composers’ Union.
Pursuing its mission to promote contemporary music creation through broadcasting for seventy years, the annual Rostrum has this year again strengthened its role as one of the most important “rendez-vous” for professional exchange between radio producers. Its overall objective remains fostering the exchange of performances of contemporary music between broadcasting organisations. Works chosen at the preceding Rostrum (2023) were given some 700 broadcasts by participating networks as well as affiliates of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
The 2024 Rostrum gathered representatives from 21 national radio networks from four continents, which presented 39 works composed within the five years preceding the Rostrum.
Sessions were co-chaired by Gregor Pirš, Head of Music, Ars Programme at Radio Slovenia, and IRC Secretary, Davide Grosso. After the listening sessions, the assembly of delegates selected and recommended the most distinctive works in two categories: general and “young composers under 30”.
In the general category, the work selected by the delegates as most outstanding was Totentanz for countertenor, orchestra and electronics (2022) by Polish composer Rafał Ryterski presented by Polish Radio.
Totentanz (in German – Dance of the Death), is situated somewhere between music piece and a theatre play, or operatic scene, with post-verbal singing part, referential character of the instrumental parts and modern electronics hooked in genres like pop, hyperpop, house, footwork or jungle. Whole piece is divided into 5 scenes or movements – Prelude (without the soloist on the stage, after which, slamming the door of the concert hall, he enters in a black dress, a veil and a bouquet of black flowers), Late capitalism movement, Dances of the Dea/th/d, Mushrooms and Panic Attacks and The Statistics.
In the “young composers” category, the work selected as most worthy for worldwide broadcasting was Rocailles de l’après-vie…for large ensemble (2022) by young Dutch composer Thomas van Dun (b. 1995). The composition was presented by Netherlands Public Broadcasting.
With the title Rocailles de l’après-vie… Thomas van Dun refers to the lushly curling, wavy decorations – characteristic of the rococo style of the eighteenth century. He has translated this profusion of shapes and stimuli into a rich ornamentation. “You see that a lot in German churches”, he says. “The purpose of these visual stimuli is to delight people. In Rocailles de l’après-vie… these become intertwined flutters and runs, just like in Clocks and Clouds by György Ligeti. Everything moves and through this overstimulation I want to put the listener in a state of trance.”
In addition to the selected works, 14 other works (see list further) were recommended for broadcasting and concert presentation after the Rostrum by the participating and other interested radio stations.
The results of this year’s Rostrum were announced at a press conference held at Lithuanian Composers’ Union on 17 May 2024.
In addition to the exceptional exposure offered by the radio broadcast, Rafał Ryterski will benefit from a co-commission for the Norrlandoperan Symphony Orchestra while Thomas van Dun, the selected composer in the under-30 category, will receive the IRC Prize in the form of a bursary offered by IMC and supported by RTP–Radio Television Portugal/Antena 2.
Moreover, thanks to the partnership with the prestigious publishing house Universal Edition, the two selected composers will be offered access for one year to the SCODO publishing service while all recommended composers will be entitled to a free one-time evaluation for inclusion in the service and a special rate if they decide to subscribe.
During their stay in Vilnius, Rostrum delegates celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Rostrum and had also the possibility to experience the broad spectrum of the local contemporary music scene including a concert by the acclaimed Synaesthesis Ensemble.
GENERAL CATEGORY
SELECTED WORK : Rafał Ryterski (Poland) TOTENTANZ
RECOMMENDED WORKS
Austria – Otto Wanke – Micrographies
Czech Republic František Chaloupka – Allegory of the Cave II
Estonia – Liisa Hirsch – Earth Veins
Finland – Cecilia Damström – “Permafrost, Op. 87
France – Théo Mérigeau – XAMP Concerto
Norway – Tyler Futrell – Schism )) Pier
Serbia – Branka Popović – Concert for accordion and orchestra „Potresi“
Switzerland – Cécile Marti – Spectra
Switzerland – Kevin Juillerat – Streams
COMPOSERS UNDER 30 CATEGORY
SELECTED WORK: Thomas van Dun (The Netherlands) – Rocailles de l’après-vie…
RECOMMENDED WORKS
Estonia – Liisa Hõbepappel – Rosa majalis
Hong Kong SAR – Hong-yu LEUNG – Excursion II
Latvia – Annija Anna Zariņa – Say Only a Word
Netherlands – Amarante Nat – I listen to the ocean and all I hear is you
Portugal – Pedro Lima – Como Se Fosse Um Filho (As if He Were a Son)
For media enquiries: Davide Grosso, International Music Council
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