On Saturday 2 December, Australian-Dutch composer Kate Moore (1979) the Matthijs Vermeulen Prize for her composition The Dam. The prize money is €20,000, made available by the Performing Arts Fund. The prize was established in 1972 and named after the Dutch composer and critic Matthijs Vermeulen (1888-1967). Until now, it invariably went to men, some even got it twice. Moore will receive him on Saturday as the first woman ever. This will take place during the Festival Dag in de Branding in The Hague, at the Korzo Theatre. Her piece will be performed there afterwards by ensemble Herz.
Kate Moore pairs repetitive patterns with an opulent sound world. Last summer at the Holland Festival, she astonished friend and foe alike with her large-scale Sacred Environment. This oratorio for orchestra, choir, soloists and live video was inspired by sacred sites of Australia's original inhabitants. The sometimes overwhelming masses of sound evoked memories of the Carmina Burana by Carl Orff. Usually Moore takes a more subdued approach; often her music has a dreamy, incantatory atmosphere. She frequently combines instruments with artistic sound objects, which form a subtle but important part of the composition. She also built self-designed ceramic percussion instruments.
Didgeridoo
Moore composed The Dam in 2015, commissioned by the Canberra International Music Festival, Australia. The piece was originally set for soprano and chamber orchestra, including a didgeridoo and an electric baritone guitar. Two years later, the British ensemble Icebreaker asked her to create an instrumental version. In this, the didgeridoo is replaced by a pan flute; this version is now the recipient of the Matthijs Vermeulen Prize. Incidentally, Moore made yet another arrangement for the Herz Ensemble, in which both singer and didgeridoo are reinstated.
Declarations of era
The jury called The Dam 'both an exciting, compelling composition and a rich statement of the era. The whisper-soft, mysterious motoric movement with which the work opens culminates with a convincing build-up in a grand musical gesture.' Furthermore, the jury report speaks of an 'organically woven evocative interplay of lines'. This offers 'both dramaturgically and melodically a rich mirror for the listener.' The jury praises Moore's daring to combine an 'almost monomaniacal musical movement' 'with extremely precise sound delivery.' Moore does not seek to nuance or soften in her music, but touches the listener directly without compromise.'
Willem Pijper Prize
Earlier that day, incidentally, the Willem Pijper Prize awarded, to Moore's Mexican contemporary Hugo Morales Murguía. He receives it for his composition Equid from 2014, performed in the Nieuwe Kerk by Slagwerk Den Haag. According to the jury report, the piece has a "signal function" because it "inspires to listen to the sounds of everyday life in a different way". The composition prize is curated and awarded for the Municipality of The Hague by the Johan Wagenaar Foundation .
Normally Dag in de Branding lasts only one (Saturday) day, but for this last edition of 2017, a day will be added. This is to mark the 70th anniversary of the Johan Wagenaar Foundation, which promotes new music. On Sunday 3 December, the piano duo X88 will give a recital featuring four world premieres at Korzo. Among others, pianists Vicky Chow and Saskia Lankhoorn will play Preservation (Pearl Morpho) Of Pete Harden and Naked, I from Vanessa Lann.
A complete overview of the two-day festival can be found here.
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