Classical:NEXT 2019 Wraps Up Its Most Successful Edition Yet

Resonancia Femenina by Eric Van Nieuwland

After three full days of networking, learning, exchanging, sharing and discovering, Classical:NEXT 2019 closes its doors on its most open. inclusive and forward-thinking edition to date.

Known for their inquisitive and nonconformist re-thinking of the classics, Spark - The Classical Band presents recognised pieces in a new light and creating points of contact with the sounds and lifestyle of the present day, no one piece is like the next. Representing a new sense of identity within a young generation of classical musicians, Spark redefine the approach to the classical tradition and they lit up the stage during the Classical:NEXT 2019 Closing Ceremony.

General manager Fabienne Krause also took the opportunity to highlight some of the key themes of the eighth edition, drawing attention to the importance of connections, the drive to unify the industry and the promotion of equality and diversity.

"Seeing 1,300 delegates again this year from 45 countries, from each sector of the art music world, plus the strongest presence of women so far, shows that we all see the certain and increasing need to stick together. We all sit in the same boat and this boat is too important to sink!"
- Fabienne Krause, general manager, Classical:NEXT

Members of the audience also took the opportunity to express their sentiments and reflect on their time at Classical:NEXT:

"We ourselves are a community, we are from all over the world, we are not undiverse. We all have the same problems, we all have the same virtues,
we all have the same vision and we ourselves are a microcosm for what we can do for audiences. We should look to ourselves and count our success and Classical:NEXT shows a way forward with that."
- James Inverne, managing director, James Inverne Music Consultancy

"What you find when you're here is that it's a very intimate setting, it's a very familiar setting, that we all do have a similar desire to make beautiful music, to make beautiful art and hope that you connect with that music to someone,
whether it be with someone right next door or around the world."
- Monica Ellis, bassoonist, Imani Winds

2019 Classical:NEXT Innovation Award

The Classical:NEXT Innovation Award places the spotlight on forward-thinking activities taking place around the world. This year, the Innovation Award celebrated German pianist and composer Clara Schumann, marking her 200th birthday. In her honour, the award celebrated women in music and featured the most international list of nominees to date from across Europe, North America and Asia.

The 2019 Classical:NEXT Innovation Award winners are:

Vanessa Reed, PRS Foundation - Keychange

Keychange is a pioneering international initiative that empowers women to transform the future of music and has encouraged over 150 festivals worldwide to achieve a 50:50 gender balance by 2022. Keychange aims to accelerate change and create a better more inclusive music industry for present and future generations.

"It really means a lot to receive this award here at Classical:NEXT because it coincides with the moment when we are opening up the Keychange pledge to any music organisation, including everyone who works in Classical music."
- Vanessa Reed, ceo, PRS Foundation

Umculo - Shirley Apthorp

South Africans – a huge majority of them living below the poverty line – sing opera. From her home base in Berlin, South African-born Shirley Apthorp founded Umculo to bring together European know-how with South African talent and insight. Since 2010, it has produced ten operas in, with and for South Africa’s disadvantaged communities.

"I'm thrilled and grateful and excited to receive this award because it's something that is really very useful to us as an organisation. We have a problem in South Africa. The problem is that we cannot meet the demand of the people who want to sing opera. [...] We innovative because we have to because we need to think experimentally." - [b]Shirley Apthorp, director, Umculo[b]

Resonancia Femenina

Women in music collective Resonancia is the first international gathering of women in music in Chile that opens spaces for work and appreciation of women musicians, primarily in composition. The project has transformed into a platform that disseminates and promotes musical work performed by women.

"Today we are here to thank you all and to say that we will keep on working. This is really inspirational for us and we will keep on opening spaces for all women in music in our country where it has been really hard work."
- Katherine Bachmann, Resonancia Femenina

Classical:NEXT 2019 And Its Most Successful Edition Yet:

• More than 1300 professionals from 45 countries representing
• 740 companies
• 320 exhibiting companies from 30 countries on 93 stands
• 240 presenters and promoters
• 170 publishers
• 450 label representatives and distributors
• 350 artists (not including performing artists)
• 190 artist managers
• 105 international journalists
• 24 showcasing acts with a total of
• 80 performers from 18 countries
• 14 project pitches
• 38 conferences, mentoring sessions and network meetings
• 82 speakers, presenters, and mentors from 27 countries

...and last, but not least: The ninth edition of Classical:NEXT is set to take place at
De Doelen in Rotterdam from 13 - 16 May 2020.

The Call for Proposals opens Aug/Sept 2019 and registration begins from November 2019

Thank you for coming and see you next year!

article posted by:Francisco Gonçalves Silva, Piranha Arts

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