Press
Press release, July 4, 2024
November Music 2024
November 8 to 17 in 's-Hertogenbosch
With a large number of composition assignments and around 100 concerts, November Music shows in the 32nd edition how diverse and vital the latest music is. November Music 2024 will take place from November 8 to 17 at various locations in 's-Hertogenbosch.
Two top Dutch orchestras, the Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, are coming to the festival for the first time and there are concerts by international top performers such as Ensemble Modern, Alva Noto and Dave Holland. With new work and performances by Elisabeth Hetherington, Arooj Aftab, Barbara Hannigan, Mayke Nas, No Plexus, Dyane Donck, Saskia Venegas, Kate Moore, Ann Cleare, Liza Lim, Franghiz Ali-Zadeh and Laura Bowler, November Music focuses this year on female makers and performers. Bosch Requiem 2024 is composed by Micha Hamel in collaboration with visual artist and Prix de Rome winner Jonas Staal.
Bosch Requiem 2024
For the eighth time, November Music has a new requiem composed. This time in the form of an installation by composer Micha Hamel and artist Jonas Staal (winner Prix de Rome 2023). Earth Workers Requiem/Jubilate commemorates (Requiem) and celebrates (Jubilate) our collective history and future as earthworkers at a critical time for our current ecosystem. Bosch Requiem 2024 is realized in collaboration with the Noordbrabants Museum and will be on display there until March 2025. There are live performances every day during the festival.
Concertgebouw Orchestra and Radio Philharmonic Orchestra
For the first time, the Concertgebouw Orchestra, led by conductor and composer Matthias Pintscher, is coming to November Music. The beautiful new building and large hall of Theater aan de Parade offers opportunities to program large orchestras. In collaboration with the Cello Biennale, a program of new music has been compiled, including a new work by Liza Lim with cellist Nicholas Altstaedt as soloist. Also for the first time - in collaboration with the Saturday Matinee - the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra will be our guest with work by Joey Roukens and John Adams, among others.
Artist-in-Residence Elisabeth Hetherington
The Dutch/Canadian singer Elisabeth Hetherington will be artist-in-residence in 2024 with various concerts spread throughout the festival in which her versatility is central. Elisabeth, renowned for her interpretations of old and new music, is always looking for new avenues of expression and collaboration. She performs with Orchestra De Ereprijs, DoelenEnsemble, Silbersee and in a dance-music production by LeineRoebana about the feminine in art.
Focus on female makers and composers
November Music 2024 presents a large number of female makers and composers from various generations. Fortunately, their share of festivals and stages is increasing. For example, former Composer Laureate Mayke Nas is composing new work for the world-famous Ensemble Modern from Germany and the young composer Saskia Venegas is being given the opportunity to write for the two Flemish top ensembles Spectra and I Solisti del Vento in a program with only female composers. Amsterdam Sinfonietta plays new work by the Azerbaijani composer Franghiz Ali-Zadeh. In collaboration with the Gaudemus and Rewire festivals, No Plexus presents its latest work.
International Top and Sounds Now
Like every year, November Music invites a number of international top ensembles and musicians such as Ensemble Modern (D) with the Dutch premiere of recent work by electronics giant Alva Noto and Georg Friedrich Haas, one of the most important composers of our time who is also present at the concert. Furthermore, guests are Crash Ensemble from Ireland, Decoder Ensemble from Germany and Diotima Quartet from France. The German composer Enno Poppe has been commissioned by NM and various other European festivals to compose work for 10 percussionists. The Flemish Nadar Ensemble comes to NM for the first time with the spectacular musical theater work Hide To Show by the German composer Michael Beil.
As part of the European Sounds Now programme, which focuses on the diversity of new music, nine international productions can be heard this year with work by Laura Bowler, Ann Cleare, Wim Henderickx and Frederic Croene, among others.
Dutch makers, composers and ensembles
Like every year, the top of Dutch music life is present at the festival with concerts by Asko|Schönberg and Klang (with Louis Andriessen's masterpiece De Staat), Ralph van Raat, Cello Octet Amsterdam, Cappella Amsterdam, De Ereprijs and the duo Erik Bosgraaf and Jorrit Tamminga. New work can be heard by renowned Dutch composers such as Rob Zuidam, Florian Maier, Peter Vigh, Jan-Peter de Graaff and Aart Strootman and young talents such as Aura Bouw, Celia Swart, Sylvie Klijn and Bram Kortekaas.
Jazz, World & Pop
November Music is once again exploring the breadth with music from all over the world. In collaboration with the Flamenco Biennale, Spanish pianist Daniel Garcia Diego has put together a new sextet with musicians from Spain and the Netherlands. American electro jazz producer MAST will perform his recent album Battle Hymns of the Republic live with English drummer Betamax (known from The Comet is Coming) and various Dutch musicians, including the members of the North Sea String Quartet. There is a Swiss focus with the groups of Lucia Cadotsch and Julie Campiche. The eye-catcher is the concert by bassist Dave Holland with his beautiful Crosscurrents trio with Chris Potter and Zakir Hussain.
FAQ Festival
This festival takes place for the fourth time during November Music with a wide range of electronic sounds including Faust, Xiu Xiu, Keith Fullerton Whitman, Colleen, Mette Rasmussen & Victoria Shen and Truus de Groot. The four-day edition concludes with a concert by Alva Noto together with Ensemble Modern.
Education and participation
Every year NM further expands its education and participation program for children, students and (young) adults. On the two Sundays there is a diverse program including the latest children's performance by the Cello Octet and the third edition of Compose It, where children learn to compose themselves. Midweek there is a wide range of workshops, master classes and expert meetings with makers and musicians active at the festival such as Elisabeth Hetherington, Klang and Enno Poppe. In Meemaken, primary school classes write a new piece of music together with a composer and musicians. They will then visit the festival for a special school concert. Composer Laureate Anne-Maartje Lemereis lets adults compose based on her motto Everyone can compose.
New Music Conference
The New Music Conference will take place for the sixth time on Thursday, November 14, in collaboration with BUMA Cultuur.
About November Music
November Music is the festival for all adventurous music lovers. Every year it brings together the most idiosyncratic and progressive makers and musicians from around the world. Not with the flow or against it, but with new, own flows. It is precisely by giving a place to all those different sounds that November Music tells its own personal story, just like the makers do.
Experience modern composed music, jazz, world music, musical theater, pop, installations and genres that you never thought possible. November Music creates encounters and challenges makers to take the plunge.
As of 2021, November Music will be part of the national basic cultural infrastructure, the so-called BIS. For more information, visit www.novembermusic.net
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Note for the editors: contact for press: Marjolein van Ruiten, 06-200 62 844. Please email press questions to PR@marjoleinvanruiten.com or pers@novembermusic.net.