Every two years, Nadar Ensemble organizes an international summer school for young composers and sound artists at, and in collaboration with DE SINGEL.
The selected composers get to work for a week with Nadar’s musicians, artistic leaders, composer Stefan Prins and cellist and art historian Pieter Matthynssens, the technical team of DE SINGEL and Nadar’s production manager, scenographer (Marieke Berendsen, also violinist) and sound engineer (Wannes Gonnissen), who will challenge them to think further on electronics, sound, light, video, etc. After each rehearsal there is time for reflection. The composers can make adjustments to their scores, change things in the set-up or work on the electronics.
With this intense week Nadar wants to meet the need of young composers to spend time in a fully equipped concert hall and above all wants to keep in close contact with the composers who are still at the beginning of their careers.
After a first successful collaboration between the Nadar Summer School and Gaudeamus Muziekweek in 2019 (with premieres by Kelley Sheehan and Remy Siu), Nadar decided to further intensify and internationalize the project. For the 2023 edition Nadar Ensemble and DE SINGEL collaborated with Gaudeamus Muziekweek, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (//hcmf) and Warsaw Autumn.
For the 2025 edition we will collaborate with Transit Festival, Gaudeamus Muziekweek, Warsaw Autumn and Ireland Contemporary Music Centre + New Music Dublin.
The first online encounter Matthew Grouse (UK) had with the musicians of Nadar formed the starting point for To put words in my mouth. Visemes and sounds intertwine and result in an extraordinary absurdist world. Nostalgia prevails in the work of Eveline Vervliet (BE) in which a pianist muses on an electronic toy instrument from her time. Throughout each performance of this work, previous performances shine through, only to fade into a memory during the next concert. The cosmic horror world of H.P. Lovecraft is a starting point for Nina Fukuoka (PL/JPN) her Yuggoth. Mannequin-like alter egos of the musicians thaw to produce chilling sounds. Paul Scully (IRE), not only a composer but also a gifted runner, literally goes for his best time in the 3km at Personal best. To be followed in real time and provided with sports commentary, Scully hopes to make it to his performance just in time.