November Music is launching NMConnects in collaboration with Buma Cultuur on Saturday 21 November 2026 in ‘s-Hertogenbosch

The first edition of a new networking and meet-up programme for creators and music professionals will take place on Saturday 21 November

On Saturday 21 November 2026, November Music will present the first edition of NMConnects, a new networking and meet-up programme for creators and professionals in the contemporary music scene. The programme is being developed by November Music in close collaboration with Buma Cultuur.

From 4.00 pm to 6.00 pm, composers, musicians, programmers, producers and representatives of cultural organisations will gather at the Theater aan de Parade and the Azijnfabriek in ’s-Hertogenbosch. This will be followed by an optional networking dinner from 6.00 pm to 7.30 pm. NMConnects forms part of the November Music 2026 festival programme.

Following a short keynote speech, participants can choose from talks, workshops and showcases. Cultural partners from across the country are co-curating the programme. Rizoom, Gaudeamus, Het Muziekgebouw Productiehuis, Dag in de Branding and Music Meeting are each contributing to the afternoon’s programme based on their own areas of expertise.

During the showcases, new work will be presented by Nawras Altaky, Yanna Pelser and Dimitra Sofroniou.

At NMConnects | Meet the Experts, participants can engage directly with organisations active in the music sector, including Platform ACCT, Nieuw Geneco and New Music NOW, amongst others. They can approach them with practical questions on topics such as grants, copyright, fair pay, publishing and the development of their professional practice.

NMConnects is aimed at creators and staff members of cultural organisations at various stages of their careers, with a particular focus on young and mid-career creators working in the fields of contemporary and new music.

“NMConnects is about connecting, collaborating, meeting one another, engaging in dialogue and inspiring one another. Together, we are stronger than we are alone. During NMConnects, we aim to inform and support creators and provide them with a platform, whilst at the same time creating a space where cultural (international) partners and organisations can meet and engage with one another through thought-provoking discussions. As the programme takes place within a festival context, professional development, knowledge exchange and artistic inspiration come together naturally.”
— Marieke Hopman, Artistic Director of November Music

From New Music Conference to NMConnects

After seven years of collaboration on the New Music Conference, November Music and Buma Cultuur once again expressed their shared ambition to bring together creators and cultural organisations from their shared network.

NMConnects is set to take this collaboration in a new direction. The programme has a more compact format and offers plenty of opportunities for face-to-face meetings, knowledge exchange and links to the festival programme. As part of this new format, the professional programme is moving from the Verkadefabriek to the Theater aan de Parade and the Azijnfabriek.

“November Music and Buma Cultuur have shared a wide network of creators and music professionals for many years. With NMConnects, we are building on this in a new way, with a focus on networking, practical knowledge and artistic exchange.”
— Mark van Schaick, Buma Cultuur

Holders of an NMConnects Day Ticket can also visit the Bosch Labyrinth – a route taking in five new works by five composers at various locations around the city – and attend AmbientNight, an evening programme taking place at various venues around Theater aan de Parade. Both these events are highlights of the November Music festival programme.

To make participation accessible to young creators and professionals, a significantly reduced rate applies to participants under the age of 30.

Practical information

NMConnects in partnership with Buma Cultuur
Saturday 21 November 2026
Programme: 4.00–6.00 pm
Optional networking dinner: 6.00–7.30 pm
Theater aan de Parade and the Azijnfabriek
’s-Hertogenbosch

Ticket sales will begin on 1 September 2026.