New European Ensemble and Stichting Perforator winners Nieuw Geneco Fair Practice Award 2025
On September 12, during the Gaudeamus Festival, Nieuw Geneco presented the Nieuw Geneco Fair Practice Award 2025 to the New European Ensemble and Stichting Perforator for their unbridled dedication and commitment to fair and sustainable practices in new music.
New European Ensemble and Stichting Perforator winners Nieuw Geneco Fair Practice Award 2025, Photo’s Foppe Schut
With the presentation of the Nieuw Geneco Fair Practice Award, the professional association Nieuw Geneco (Association of Dutch Composers) draws attention to fair practice, fee guidelines, and good commissioning practices in new music. “Since the first presentation of the Award in 2019, much has improved,” says Esther Gottschalk, initiator and director of Nieuw Geneco. “The Nieuw Geneco Fee Table has become the widely recognized guideline for composition commissions. Clients are also becoming increasingly aware of what good commissioning entails. With the annual Award, we draw attention to often persistent issues in a positive way.”
The Dutch initiative has now been followed in Denmark.
This year marks the sixth time the award has been presented. Composers from Nieuw Geneco submitted a reasoned nomination based on their recent experiences and assessed these against the Nieuw Geneco Fair Practice Code. The jury, consisting of Huba de Graaff (composer), Anthony Fiumara (composer), and Davo van Peursen (publisher), previously announced the six nominees. From these, the jury selected no fewer than two winners. The two prizes are equal and honor the fact that both large and smaller players can implement a fair practice policy.
From the jury report:
“The jury selected Kayva van Gangelen and Akim Moisteenkov’s Stichting Perforator as the winner in the category of smaller private initiatives. Despite its modest size, the foundation demonstrates that fair practice is not a matter of scale, but of conviction and care. With the performance Lijf! (Body!), Perforator not only offered composer Bec Plexus fair compensation according to the fee schedule, but also a safe and stimulating environment in which to take artistic risks. […] The jury praises Perforator as an inspiring example of how small organizations can make a big difference.”
“The jury is enthusiastic about the New European Ensemble as the winner in the category of larger subsidized initiatives. The ensemble has demonstrated a consistent commitment to fair practice for many years and reaffirmed this in the nominated project Seasonal Quartet. Composers Seung Won Oh and Sara Zamboni emphasize the clear and fair agreements, based on the fee schedule, and the generous artistic freedom they were given. In addition, active efforts were made to foster open dialogue and equal collaboration, allowing trust and creativity to flourish.”
The Nieuw Geneco Fair Practice Award consists of the composition/video “Side by side” with music, lyrics, and images created by composer David Dramm. Performed by Diamanda La Berge Dramm and Nora Fischer. The winners received the composition in the form of a large LP music card from the composers who nominated them.
Previous winners of the Nieuw Geneco Fair Practice Award were:
2019: Orgelpark & Fie Schouten
2021: Orkest de Ereprijs & mecenas Marcia
2022: Opera Zuid & Toonzetters van Oranjewoud festival
2023: November Music & Black Pencil Ensemble
2024: Wonderfeel & Bauwien van der Meer
The Nieuw Geneco Fee Schedule is accepted across the sector as a calculation tool for composition commissions. It is supported by the Professional Association of Improvising Musicians (BIMpro), BAM! Pop Authors, Kunstenbond, the Association of Composers and Lyricists (VCTN), and the Dutch Music Publishers Association (NMUV), and serves as the reference for grant applications.
Meer info en downloads:
Fair practice en fee schedule – Nieuw Geneco
Side by Side Nieuw Geneco Fair Practice Award