Nieuw Ensemble

Nieuw Ensemble
Nieuw Ensemble
Years active	1980-2019
Website	www.nieuw-ensemble.nl

The Nieuw Ensemble (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌniu ɑ̃ːˈsɑ̃ːblə]; English: New Ensemble) was a Dutch musical ensemble.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4] Having worked in the field of new music for almost four decades, it had to came to a halt at the end of 2019.

The ensemble was founded in 1980 in Amsterdam and it had a unique instrumental structure, using plucked instruments such as mandolin, guitar and harp in combination with wind, string and percussion.^{[citation needed]} Ed Spanjaard has been the principal conductor since 1982.

Almost 1000 pieces have been written for the ensemble.^{[citation needed]}

The Nieuw Ensemble had dedicated programmes to the works of a single composer, such as Luciano Berio, Pierre Boulez, Elliott Carter, Franco Donatoni, Brian Ferneyhough, Mauricio Kagel, Ton de Leeuw, György Kurtág, Theo Loevendie and Luigi Nono.

Since 1991, programmes featuring new works written especially for the ensemble by Chinese composers such as Tan Dun, Qu Xiao-Song, Xu Shuya, Chen Qigang and Guo Wenjing had appeared. In 1997, the group toured China with concerts in Shanghai and Beijing.

In 1998 the Nieuw Ensemble and Joël Bons were awarded the prestigious Prince Bernhard Fund Music Prize for the ‘markedly lively and adventurous programming that could be described as crossing borders, both in the literal and figurative sense'.

The Nieuw Ensemble has performed at the Venice Biennale.

The Nieuw Ensemble also participated in the Atlas Ensemble, a chamber orchestra with musicians from a number of different countries.

References

^ Evans, Rian (14 May 2015). "Nieuw Ensemble review – around the world in dramatic style". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
^ Maddocks, Fiona (17 May 2015). "The Pirates of Penzance; Nieuw Ensemble; Kirill Gerstein – review". The Observer. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
^ "Muziekgroep Het Nieuw Ensemble stopt na 39 jaar". NU (in Dutch). 27 February 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
^ Derks, Thea (17 January 2014). "Nieuw Ensemble features young composers in the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ". Bachtrack. Retrieved 5 September 2020.

External links

Official website (in Dutch)

[1] Evans, Rian (14 May 2015). "Nieuw Ensemble review – around the world in dramatic style". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 September 2020.

[2] Maddocks, Fiona (17 May 2015). "The Pirates of Penzance; Nieuw Ensemble; Kirill Gerstein – review". The Observer. Retrieved 5 September 2020.

[3] "Muziekgroep Het Nieuw Ensemble stopt na 39 jaar". NU (in Dutch). 27 February 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2020.

[4] Derks, Thea (17 January 2014). "Nieuw Ensemble features young composers in the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ". Bachtrack. Retrieved 5 September 2020.

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