# Very contemporary...



## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

Hey there people,
I sometimes surf around for completely new composers that are fantastic and interesting. So yesterday I heard Wim Henderickx for the first time. Have you encountered surprisingly engaging new composers lately? How did you stumble upon them?

...anybody?


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## GioCar (Oct 30, 2013)

Well, I don't know if he's "very contemporary" but I recently had the chance to listen to some works by Pierluigi Billone (b.1960).

From this Stradivarius CD










- _ME.A.AN_ for male voice, two bass clarinets, viola, cello, bass and percussion;
- _ITI KE MI_ for solo viola;

and from this Kairos CD










_1+1=1_ for 2 bass clarinets.
I listened to just a part of it (it's quite long) since I wasn't at home.

All very intriguing, in particular the work for two bass clarinets. I think I'm going to buy this CD


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

Thank-you! The first cd is on spotify! Listening now...Forgot to mention Anna Thorvaldsdottir & Mario Diaz de Leon...Mr. Billone is very contemporary


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## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

I find it fairly difficult to hear the newest new since I don't live in a large metro area with a strong cultural scene. I find myself resorting to looking up winners of composition prizes such as the Grawemeyer etc. or just surfing around a lot. And of course this forum!

One that I heard not too long ago was a cello work by Michel van der Aa. Phenomenal!


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## Andolink (Oct 29, 2012)

You might try these discs. Both have some of the best new music I've heard recently.

















Oh also,

This disc of piano music by Alexander Goehr is just stunning:


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

Nice! Listening now to Michael Plezel with the fantastic Arditti quartet. The only piece by him I found on spotify. Will also check out Simone Movio soon. Have heard quite a bit of Goehr and really like his music! He's a classic veteran.
"...vers le vent..." is the piece by Plezel. Means "into the wind" and is fun and dynamic & very contemporary


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## The nose (Jan 14, 2014)

I've seen Dai Fujikura's opera "Solaris", based on Lem's novel, a year ago. He's a really good composer, you can find some of his music on the youtube channel. There's also a very interesting interview with Pierre Boulez:


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## dgee (Sep 26, 2013)

There's a lot to like in Andrew Norman's music - I would recommend starting with his major orchestral work "Play" which is on Spotify and YT


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

One genre that is rarely pursued around here is concert band music. There are just a handful of members who follow it. In the United States it is a very vibrant genre of classical music. Just about every high school has a concert band, while orchestras are mainly found in urban school system. There is a tremendous orchestra program in Fairfax County where I live.

One of the groups I preform with is the National Concert Band of America in Alexandria, Virginia. We program a wide range on contemporary concert band works. I am all of the time frequently exposed to new music for band. Like in our upcoming concert on February 7th we will be perform James Barnes' _Second Symphony_. Dr. Barnes Teaches at the University of Kansas. He is one of those academics who composes nothing but atonal/avant-garde music. I am being sarcastic. His music is very tonal:

Links to an excellent performance by a European Band:
















What is interesting about concert band music in the US is most of it is very tonal. This blows apart the myth that some here embrace that all University, Academic composers compose music on radar to let them know if they get to close to a key.

I still like to listen to Carter.


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

I think this is my first time listening to concert band music! I usually need strings but I like James Barnes, I understand he's a great veteran of this music. Thanx for suggestions


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

Yesterday I heard Steven Mackey for the first time. "It is time" for percussion quartet left me almost hypnotized. Cool stuff


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

Checked out som Grawemeyer winners. Hans Abrahamsen-Let me tell you is a very beautiful piece! Also former winner Wolfgang Rihms latest album is great! Those composers are pretty famous though


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

A recent profile of "10 young composers who are redefining classical music."

https://theculturetrip.com/north-am...composers-who-are-redefining-classical-music/


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

Blancrocher said:


> A recent profile of "10 young composers who are redefining classical music."
> 
> https://theculturetrip.com/north-am...composers-who-are-redefining-classical-music/


Started with the first youtube-clip by Mazzoli. This is music for everybody!  Really nice this one, but I think I've heard more challenging music by her.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

This is October, Donaueschingen Festival month. The Donaueschingen Festival for new music has been taking place every October in the small town of Donaueschingen in south-western Germany since 1921 (except, perhaps, during the war years). it remains one of the oldest and most prestigious festivals for contemporary music in the world. But, if you can't make it to the live concerts, know that col legno and NEOS has been featuring recordings from the festival for decades now. I believe I have all of them currently in my collection, and there is some startling contemporary music to be heard ... and some stuff which, frankly, may strain your credibility. Still, there are few recorded documents like these discs.

Below are three of the more current ones. If you don't recognize too many of the composer names listed on these covers, perhaps you might consider looking into the music. It really doesn't get much more contemporary (or experimental) than what is happening at the Donaueschingen.





















The NEOS label remains one of my favorite labels for CD purchases of new music. NEOS (Greek for "new") is the responsibility of Wulf Weinmann, who was previously the owner and label manager of col legno, which explains why the Donaueschingen discs began with col legno and later reverted over to the newer NEOS where they are ongoing. Weinmann seems like a wonderful person who takes new music most seriously, and not just for profit. I do not know him personally, but I have received e-mail correspondences directly from him when I had queries concerning new music on NEOS. He's that accommodating.

NEOS features a couple of different new music lines, including a wonderful series listed as MUSICA VIVA (of which I have all but one of the some three dozen discs), another titled Darmstadt Aural Documents, and one featuring the Experimentalstudio des SWR as well as recordings from the Salzburg Festivals. A 3 disc set on col legno titled 25 Years Experimentalstudio Freiburg (WWE 3CD 20025) is a fine collection to start with, though it features music from the 1970s and 80s -- still, not much that is today "standard repertoire". Comb through both labels, col legno and NEOS for much much great new music.

If you're serious about new music, as is Wulf Weinmann, look into those col legno and NEOS discs. You can subscribe to NEOS for regular issues of new music recordings, but the back catalog is filled with treasures. I wouldn't want to be without them.


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## aleazk (Sep 30, 2011)

My favorite is *Dai Fujikura*, an extremely talented young composer:

Sparking Orbit, for electric guitar and electronics.

Prism Spectra, for viola and electronics.

Abandoned Time, for electric guitar and ensemble.

And many other pieces in yt.


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## Forster (Apr 22, 2021)

Last night, watched a world premiere on BBC iPlayer from this year's Proms by George Lewis.

It wasn't instantly likeable. It some respects, it resembled exactly the kind of modern work that attracts the opprobrium of the 'traditional' classical fan. Entitled _Minds in Flux_, it was designed to take advantage of both electronic manipulation and the acoustics of the Royal Albert Hall. This meant that I couldn't get the best sound from my TV: but I think it worth persevering with, so I'll try on headphones via BBC Sounds.


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