Nieuw Ensemble
Encyclopedia
The Nieuw Ensemble was founded in 1980 in Amsterdam
. It has a unique instrumental structure, using plucked instruments such as mandolin, guitar and harp in combination with wind, string and percussion. Ed Spanjaard
has been the principal conductor since 1982. The lack of literature for this group makes it as dependent upon composers, as composers have always been upon musicians. The Nieuw Ensemble has thus set out to build its own repertoire, encouraged by continuous contact with composers from different cultures, countries and generations, and long-term workshops for young composers. Almost five hundred pieces have been written for the ensemble.
Highly successful programmes have been those dedicated to the work of a single composer, such as Luciano Berio
, Pierre Boulez
, Elliot Carter, Franco Donatoni
, Brian Ferneyhough
, Mauricio Kagel
, Ton de Leeuw
, György Kurtág
, Theo Loevendie
and Luigi Nono
. It initiated festivals such as Complexity? (1990), Rules & Games (1995), Improvisations (1996), the multi-cultural Festival of Plucked Instruments (1998) and The Refined Ear on microtonality (2003).
Since 1991, programmes featuring new works written especially for the ensemble by Chinese composers such as Tan Dun
, Qu Xiaosong, Xu Shuya, Chen Qigang and Guo Wenjing
have appeared. In 1997, the group toured China with concerts in Shanghai and Beijing.
The Nieuw Ensemble has performed in festivals such as the Venice Biennale
, Settembre Musica, Ars Musica in Brussels, Donaueschinger Musiktage, Musica Strasbourg, Holland Festival, Warsaw Autumn, Huddersfield Festival, Agora, Stockholm New Music, the Festival d’Automne à Paris, Lincoln Center Festival and Sadlers Wells in London.
The Nieuw Ensemble has released compact discs of Donatoni, Carter, Ferneyhough, Gerhard, Loevendie, Poulenc, Guo Wenjing and Chinese composers, and documentary films about Boulez’ Eclat and five Chinese composers.
The Nieuw Ensemble also participates in the Atlas Ensemble, a unique chamber orchestra uniting thirty musicians from the East, the Near East and Europe.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. It has a unique instrumental structure, using plucked instruments such as mandolin, guitar and harp in combination with wind, string and percussion. Ed Spanjaard
Ed Spanjaard
Eduard Philip Spanjaard is a Dutch conductor and pianist.-Early life:Ed Spanjaard his father was psychiatrist and amateur pianist, and his mother played the flute. Spanjaard studied at the Conservatorium van de Vereniging Muzieklyceum at Amsterdam and afterwards at the Guildhall School of Music...
has been the principal conductor since 1982. The lack of literature for this group makes it as dependent upon composers, as composers have always been upon musicians. The Nieuw Ensemble has thus set out to build its own repertoire, encouraged by continuous contact with composers from different cultures, countries and generations, and long-term workshops for young composers. Almost five hundred pieces have been written for the ensemble.
Highly successful programmes have been those dedicated to the work of a single composer, such as Luciano Berio
Luciano Berio
Luciano Berio, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian composer. He is noted for his experimental work and also for his pioneering work in electronic music.-Biography:Berio was born at Oneglia Luciano Berio, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI (October 24, 1925 – May 27, 2003) was an Italian...
, Pierre Boulez
Pierre Boulez
Pierre Boulez is a French composer of contemporary classical music, a pianist, and a conductor.-Early years:Boulez was born in Montbrison, Loire, France. As a child he began piano lessons and demonstrated aptitude in both music and mathematics...
, Elliot Carter, Franco Donatoni
Franco Donatoni
Franco Donatoni was an Italian composer.Born in Verona, he started studying violin at the age of seven, and frequented the local Music Academy...
, Brian Ferneyhough
Brian Ferneyhough
Brian John Peter Ferneyhough is an English composer. His music is characterized by the extensive use of complex rhythmic tuplet notation which features in all his works...
, Mauricio Kagel
Mauricio Kagel
Mauricio Kagel was a German-Argentine composer. He was notable for his interest in developing the theatrical side of musical performance .-Biography:...
, Ton de Leeuw
Ton De Leeuw
Antonius Wilhelmus Adrianus de Leeuw was a Dutch composer. He was known for his experiments with microtonality....
, György Kurtág
György Kurtág
György Kurtág is a Hungarian composer of contemporary music.- Biography :György Kurtág was born in Lugoj in the Banat region, Romania.In 1946, he began his studies at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, where he met his wife, Márta, and also György Ligeti, who became a close friend...
, Theo Loevendie
Theo Loevendie
Theo Loevendie is a Dutch composer and clarinet player.Loevendie studied composition and clarinet at the Conservatoire of Amsterdam. Initially he concentrated on jazz music. As off 1968 he also wrote concert music, among which operas, concertos and chamber music...
and Luigi Nono
Luigi Nono
Luigi Nono was an Italian avant-garde composer of classical music and remains one of the most prominent composers of the 20th century.- Early years :Born in Venice, he was a member of a wealthy artistic family, and his grandfather was a notable painter...
. It initiated festivals such as Complexity? (1990), Rules & Games (1995), Improvisations (1996), the multi-cultural Festival of Plucked Instruments (1998) and The Refined Ear on microtonality (2003).
Since 1991, programmes featuring new works written especially for the ensemble by Chinese composers such as Tan Dun
Tan Dun
Tan Dun is a Chinese contemporary classical composer, most widely known for his scores for the movies Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero.-Early life in China:...
, Qu Xiaosong, Xu Shuya, Chen Qigang and Guo Wenjing
Guo Wenjing
Guo Wenjing is a Chinese composer and educator.-Biography:He began attending the Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing in 1978, the year of that institution's reopening, and later served as the head of the composition department there; he remains on the faculty.He has composed for both Western...
have appeared. In 1997, the group toured China with concerts in Shanghai and Beijing.
The Nieuw Ensemble has performed in festivals such as the Venice Biennale
Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...
, Settembre Musica, Ars Musica in Brussels, Donaueschinger Musiktage, Musica Strasbourg, Holland Festival, Warsaw Autumn, Huddersfield Festival, Agora, Stockholm New Music, the Festival d’Automne à Paris, Lincoln Center Festival and Sadlers Wells in London.
The Nieuw Ensemble has released compact discs of Donatoni, Carter, Ferneyhough, Gerhard, Loevendie, Poulenc, Guo Wenjing and Chinese composers, and documentary films about Boulez’ Eclat and five Chinese composers.
The Nieuw Ensemble also participates in the Atlas Ensemble, a unique chamber orchestra uniting thirty musicians from the East, the Near East and Europe.