FESTIVAL DAG IN DE BRANDING INITIEERT (C0)PRODUCEERT EN PRESENTEERT BIJZONDERE PROJECTEN OP HET GEBIED VAN DE NIEUWE MUZIEK
"When the profile of New Music is painted with more clarity and given greater resonance it will widen the audience's perception of the multiform nature and broad palette of activities being organised around the theme of New Music in The Hague”
Keeping the above statement in mind, several music venues in The Hague joined forces early in 2005 to set about raising the profile and allure of contemporary music in The Hague to enhance the city's cultural status and elevate it to a higher plane. The initiative, supervised by the Johan Wagenaar Foundation, resulted in the Platform for New Music, comprising the following organisations in alphabetical order: Johan Wagenaar Stichting (Johan Wagenaar Foundation) / Koninklijk Conservatorium (The Royal Conservatory) / Korzo theater / Paard van Troje / Residentie Orkest / Theater De Regentes / Loos Foundation, <TAG> and Theater aan het Spui joinde the platform. When the occasion arises composers and sister organizations such as Dance Holland, the Hague Filmhuis and Ensembles such as Slagwerk Den Haag, the New European and Ensemble Klang also participate in those meetings. So there is a broad involvement of The Hague based organizations in the field of new music and related disciplines.
By bringing the collective strengths and expertise of these venues, production houses and organisations under one umbrella in a Platform, three goals could be reached. First, it would increase the artistic diversity and the broad spectrum of New Music on offer. Second, it would systematically heighten awareness of New Music in the cultural arena of The Hague. And third, it would serve to initiate large-scale projects. In other words, projects normally beyond the scope of the individual partners. A second significant step taken by the Platform for New Musicwas to organise the Festival 'Dag in de Branding'. This festival is a 12-hour musical marathon that will be held four times a year, which was successfully launched on 16 September 2006 in various theatres and locations in The Hague.The programme for 'Dag in de Branding' revolves around a few concepts including: tranquil time and recollection, conceptual and coincidental music, musica derivata, crossovers with jazz and pop music, improvised music, performance art, installations and music theatre, and finally, traditional and orchestral music. The four editions of the day-long festival, one each season, share the same theme.
A second significant step taken by the Platform for New Music was to organise the Festival 'Dag in de Branding'. This festival is a 12-hour musical marathon that will be held four times a year. The theme chosen for 2006-2007 fell on the city of The Hague as a starting point, which is not surprising because The Hague has been a breeding ground for trailblazing developments in contemporary music for many years now. It is not just the Royal Conservatory and the Residential Orchestra that play a prominent role. Other ensembles are equally influential, such as the Schönberg Ensemble, Hoketus, Slagwerkgroep Den Haag, the ensembles LOOS, Klang and the New European Ensemble. They have acquired a reputation stretching beyond the borders of the Netherlands. Composers of the calibre of Jan van Vlijmen, Peter Schat, Louis Andriessen, Dick Raaijmakers and Cornelis de Bondt all had their roots in this city.
Each edition of the 'Dag in de Branding' gives audiences the opportunity to hear the latest in contemporary music, not simply because it makes a 'home-grown' selection, but because it links it to developments elsewhere in the world."