We are pleased to share that composer Craig Scott joins Nadar Ensemble for the Nadar Summer School in Antwerp this week, following his successful application to our open call for early career composers.
Over the course of the week, selected composers including Scott have the chance to work 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 develop ideas engaging with electronics, sound, light, video and more. The programme accommodates time for reflection after rehearsals, as composers make adjustments to their scores, tweak the technical set-up and further realise their concepts.
The aim of this intense week is to give early career composers vital time in a fully equipped concert hall, as well as the opportunity to foster relationships with organisers and ensembles. For the 2023 edition of the Nadar Summer School, Gaudeamus Muziekweek, Warsaw Autumn and hcmf// will collaborate to present the resulting works at each festival, enabling them to develop over multiple performances.
Composer, improvising guitarist and sound artist Craig Scott was selected for the programme via hcmf//’s open call earlier this year. His work focuses on the existing tension between human and machine-made music. Working with human performers, robotics, custom-built digital and analogue hardware to explore the uncanny valley through sound, Scott’s compositions blur the lines of perception between organic and artificial, function and malfunction, and intention and error. Scott is also part of Fielding Talent, our talent development network, and performed at the 2019 edition of the festival.
Ahead of his visit to Belgium, Scott commented: “I am really looking forward to working with Nadar Ensemble this year as part of their summer school programme – I am very excited to be working with the musicians’ instruments simultaneously being controlled by digital mechanisations. With this, I hope to explore new and exciting dynamics in how the musicians relate to each other and their own instruments.”
Nadar Summer School takes place 21 – 27 August 2023 at DE SINGEL International Arts Centre, Antwerp. Three new works developed at Nadar Summer School will receive their UK Premieres at hcmf// 2023 this November.