Important things happened in Utrecht during Gaudeamus Festival 2024 

On Saturday, I caught myself having a wonderfully sexist thought. Not surprising, probably, as sexist thoughts appear to be in the standard package of the product 'man'. But there I was, sitting in a not so very full auditorium during the Gaudeamus Festival at For Real by Andrea Voets. There, the idea struck me that it was quite strange to see a woman concentrating on knobs and sliders on complicated musical electronics. 

So then there appears to be an image carved into this mind that features men like Brian Eno, The Pet Shop Boys, Jean-Michel Jarre, Vangelis and Kyteman and all the Bill Gatestypes up to and including Elon Musk: men do technical things with buttons. Women play harp. 

Andrea Voets does both, and so that short-circuits this apparently fixed brain. I could have shared that with the makers and the audience during one of the interview sessions built into this live podcast, which is what the show is, but then again I was too timid for that. 

Hysterical

So I am living proof that gender equality is still not right, even though I consider myself extremely emancipated, verging on feminist. In preparation for this tour, Andrea Voets conducted interviews with many women, often in high positions, about their experiences with men. And then it turns out things still don't go well. Men who do not let women have their say and start shouting that she is hysterical when she does say something: commonplace. We even managed to fill a whole season of Zomergasten with it, while no one at VPRO noticed: In #Zomergasten 2023#6 guest, Alida Dors, asked the best questions. 

That this episode of the extraordinarily necessary and impressive For Real at the Gaudeamus Festival was not very eagerly used to engage in conversation may also have been because of that festival. Many audience members in the room were acquaintances. Then you are less likely to make confessions on stage.

Relationship

With these four days, Gaudeamus offers many great things for enthusiasts and creators among themselves. They and programmers, artistic directors and fervent enthusiasts within the small sector of 'New Music' have apparently already built up a rapport of mutual respect and trust over the past decades. That at least makes the atmosphere there very different from that at the Dutch Theatre Festival, which launched simultaneously this week in an atmosphere of anger, despair and mutual reproach. Also justified, but different. 

Not that there aren't concerns. In fact, those concerns are huge, especially when it comes to the chain from music education to concert practice. That is in danger of disappearing because of an oversight by the Cultural Participation Fund.

During the festival, which kicked off on Wednesday with a literally dazzling performance of Louis Andriessen's masterpiece De Staat and a keynote by Calliope Tsoupaki that was as heartwarming as her music, everyone seemed to be under the spell for days to come of the connection that that amazing piece of music had managed to create in TivoliVredenburg. Whether attending Andriessen's work live really works that magic is, of course, the question. I could tell some anecdotes about it, but that's for later.

Inspiring

The fact remains that a panel discussion on Friday during the presentation of the Fair Practice Awards by New Geneco (Genootschap Nederlandse Componisten) was inspiring for the first time in years of such debates. Perhaps it was because of discussion leader Neil Wallace, who strictly adhered to the intention not to talk about grudges and money. The participants, with their inspired presence, were at least as important. Composer of the Netherlands Anne-Maartje Lemereis made a fascinating case for music education, something she herself integrated extraordinarily skilfully into all her work. Raaf Hekkema of Calefax shared especially many positive experiences and new-music pioneer Leonie Roessler managed to get the audience on her side with her plea for the smallest possible niche.

Fair Practice Awards

It all took place during the afternoon when New Geneco presented the Fair Practice Awards 2024. This time to festival Wonderfeel and concert organiser Bauwien van der Meer. Read more about that presentation here: Wonderfeel and Bauwien van der Meer winners New Geneco Fair Practice Award 2024. 

So you can get the awards if you as a client treat your contractor nicely. 

Something like this should actually be introduced within every sector that works with freelancers. Contractors can nominate a client if it behaves nicely and makes good agreements. To prevent it becoming one big lobbying event, there is a jury that selects strictly and independently. So strict that only this year, for the first time in years, a large orchestra made the shortlist. 

Grass Roots

Incidentally, the representative of that Concertgebouw Orchestra did say that the audience had become more diverse since the Corona pandemic, and much more open to new music from Dutch soil than before it. He just hadn't noticed this enthusiasm among the people at the top of the organisation. Nor was there any scientific proof, but that did not matter this afternoon. 

That something positive is happening 'grassroots' is hopeful. Even more hopeful was the thought with which the panellists sent us to the drinks party: by now, inspiring music education is being taught in so many schools, that a generation may well emerge that - once grown up - would not be satisfied with a culture-hostile government of the kind currently in power. 

If that's hope, I'll sign for it.