Buma Classical Awards 2026 for Joey Roukens and Huba de Graaff
The Buma Classical Awards will be presented during the closing night of the Day of the Composer 2026, on Sunday 21 June at TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht. These awards, presented by the copyright organisation BumaStemra, recognise composers who have made an indelible mark on new classical music. This year, the Buma Classical Awards go to composers Joey Roukens and Huba de Graaff.
From left to right: Sherlo Esajas, Public Affairs BumaStemra; Huba de Graaff, composer; Joey Roukens, composer; Frank Helmink, Buma Cultuur. Photo: Niels Knelis Meijer
Buma Classical Award 2026
Joey Roukens (Schiedam, 1982) is one of the most frequently performed and internationally recognised Dutch composers of his generation. He studied composition at Codarts (Rotterdam Conservatoire) under Klaas de Vries and psychology at Leiden University.
His music is direct, whimsical, layered and eclectic. In his work, Roukens integrates elements from a wide range of influences: the orchestral vitality of the early Stravinsky and Ravel, the late-Romantic gestures of Mahler and Sibelius, the pulsating rhythm of American minimalism, as well as pop and jazz.
His works are performed by major ensembles and soloists at home and abroad, including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic. In 2024, the Royal Ballet staged a choreography based on his highly acclaimed double concerto *In Unison*, which he wrote for the piano duo Lucas & Arthur Jussen.
His recent works include Symphony No. 1 (Kaleidoscopic) (2021), a Requiem (2022, commissioned by November Music) for mixed choir, percussion and strings, and the Violin Concerto *Out of the Deep* (2024), written for violinist Simone Lamsma and to be performed by her on 21 June with the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra.
Buma Classical Lifetime Achievement Award
Huba de Graaff (Amsterdam, 1959) occupies a unique place in the Dutch music scene. She studied sonology in Utrecht and composition at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague under, amongst others, Louis Andriessen, Dick Raaijmakers and Walter Zimmermann, graduating with distinction.
She made a name for herself with controversial operas such as *Apera*, inspired by communication between monkeys, and *Pornopera*, built around the sounds of a couple making love. Electronics play a central role in her work: she enjoys working with mixing desks, laptops and instruments she has built herself. Despite the experimental approach and often unusual line-ups, her work is not inaccessible – it possesses a strong melodic quality.
Her new opera, *Qaqnas*, premiered during the Holland Festival, which is currently taking place. The production combines DIY electronics with opera, poetry and an all-female cast, and is based on a poem by the Kurdish poet Tarza Jaff. At its heart lies the question of what freedom means for women – sung in Sorani Kurdish, a language that was banned for a long time.
Since 2022, De Graaff has been affiliated with ArtEZ as a lecturer in composition on the Composition for Film and Theatre (CFT) course in Arnhem.
Previous winners of the Buma Classical Awards include Arjan Linker, Klaas de Vries, Peter-Jan Wagemans, Corrie van Binsbergen, Theo Loevendie, Mathilde Wantenaar, Martin Fondse and Jacob ter Veldhuis.
The Buma Classical Awards are an initiative of BumaStemra. The awards ceremony is organised by Buma Cultuur, this year in collaboration with New Music NOW.