World Choir Games Flanders 2021 - Program Book

Choral Music
in Flanders
Festivals and competitions
In 1953 a new festival was founded: the European Music festival
for Young People (Europees Muziekfestival voor de Jeugd,
EMJ). It is an annual, international music meeting in Neerpelt
for young people up to 25 years old. The idea behind the festival
is that music pushes boundaries, forges bonds, and broadens
horizons. The festival began as a local initiative when a dozen
choirs met in 1953. In recent years, editions with more than 100
groups from 20 to 25 different countries have been no exception.
The festival is held alternatingly for choirs and for instrumental
ensembles.
In 1987 the choir ’Cantate’ from Maasmechelen organized a
prestigious international choir competition, in which six Flemish
and five foreign choirs took part: the International Choir
Festival Flanders (IKV) was born. It was the starting point for a
wonderful tradition. Since 2019, the festival is held in the former
mine “C-mine” in, Genk.
Both EMJ and IKV support composers from Flanders in many
ways, for example by commissioning them to write works.
International ambassadors
Flanders is blessed with a series of highly professional ensembles
and fine singers that love to sing music from the region:
Huelgas Ensemble, Collegium Vocale, Capilla Flamenca, Psallentes,
Ex Tempore, Graindelavoix, Currende, Utopia, Dionysos
Now!, Pluto…
The Flemish Radio Choir also hosts the best singers from Flanders.
It was founded in 1937, by the Belgian National Institute
for Radio Broadcasting or NIR (Nationaal Instituut voor de Radio).
From the start, the Vlaams Radiokoor was an extremely
flexible ensemble that was deployed in a very broad repertoire,
from early to contemporary music, from a cappella to large
choral and orchestral ensembles, and from serious music to
light music and operettas. This DNA still determines the choir‘s
individuality today. Between 1970 and 1996 Vic Nees led the Radio
Choir. He developed a niche with the choir in 19 th and 20 th
century choral music from his native country, and performed
many premieres by fellow composers. He also revived forgotten
works of the region’s own musical heritage. With those recordings
he built a rich sound archive of Flemish choral music. The
choir thus fulfilled its pioneering role in the renewal of amateur
choral life in Flanders. 5 In 1998 the choir was disconnected
from the broadcaster and transformed from a studio ensemble
into a concert ensemble that also expanded its international reputation.
It was led by coposer Johan Duyck (°1954), the Dane
Bo Holten (°1948), and the Frenchman Hervé Niquet (°1957).
Since 2019-2020, Bart Van Reyn (°1979) is the conductor of the
choir.
Liesbeth Segers
5
From the website of the Flemish Radio Choir:
https://www.vlaamsradiokoor.be/en/about
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