Spotlight on Ramon Lazkano

workshop for conductors and composers

1-6 October, 2023, Budapest, Hungary

Spotlight on Ramon Lazkano

workshop for conductors and composers

1-6 October, 2023, Budapest, Hungary

GENERAL INFORMATION

The Peter Eötvös Contemporary Music Foundation announces a workshop for conductors and composers between 1-6 October 2023, in Budapest (Hungary). Selected active conductors and mentees of the Foundation will have the possibility to work on a piece by Ramon Lazkano and a new piece by mentee composer Sebastian Black during rehearsals and live performance, too. The program also includes a piece by Balázs Horváth, board member of the foundation, and regular professor of the masterclasses, Professor Horváth is teaching at Franz Liszt Academy of Music.

COVID UPDATE

Due to the ongoing pandemic cancellations changes are possible in the program. Before traveling make sure to get all the details of the latest travel regulations as these may change quite frequently. To enter our masterclass you have to be fully vaccinated with a proven record. Currently there are no mask mandates and other restrictions in place in Hungary or at the Budapest Music Center.

Ramon Lazkano (Donostia-San Sebastián, 1968) studied composition in San Sebastian, Paris and Montreal. As a composer formermly in residence at Rome with the Spanish Academy of history, archeology and the fine arts, and then at the Villa Medici, Lazkano examines composition and his own musical ideas concerning intertextuality, silence and the experience of sound, and also of a renewed attention to architecture and duration. His language incorporates micro-intervals and polyrhythmic techniques within harmonic and metrical clarity. Lazkano composes for all formations, from solo instrument to orchestra, including the voice. After having taught orchestration at the Strasbourg Conservatory and composition at the Higher School of Music in Barcelona, Ramon Lazkano was appointed composition teacher at Musikene, the Higher School of Music of the Basque Country.

"What is happening in the small, the smallest, the individual events? And how individual event, each articulation, each breath, each brush, each intrumentalist's touch beyond what he or she is doing with the instrument itself, contributes towards our experience of sound, contributes towards our experience of music, to how we listen to it, whether it's a Beethoven Symphony or a piece by Lachenmann. It is how we end up percieving that period of sound, the duration of that sound, which is what we will impregnate in us, and seize, shall we say, the artistic experience of music." /Ramon Lazkano - Canal Europa interview/

As this workshop is part of the foundation’s Mentoring Program there will be a new chamber piece written for the workshop by mentored composer of the foundation, Sebastian Black (UK). The workshop offers working sessions with Peter Eötvös, Ramon Lazkano, Gregory Vajda, Balázs Horváth and the mentored composer.

The call is open for conductors and composers of all nationalities.

Age limit for active conductors and composers is 35 years, observers (conductors and composers) are accepted without age limit.

The course is suitable for advanced students and professionals with special interest in contemporary music repertoire.

Professors:

Guest: RAMON LAZKANO, composer (French-Spanish Basque)

Featuring: Danubia Orchestra (HU)

Language of the course: English, German, French, Hungarian

Course program for conductors:

Consultations, rehearsals and concert, conductor camera recording during concert and concert recording.

Ramon Lazkano: Egan 4 (2011) 15'

Ramon Lazkano: Erlantz (2015, Le Chant du Monde) 11'

György Ligeti: Kammerkonzert (1969-70, Schott Music) 21’

https://www.schott-music.com/en/kammerkonzert-no153606.html

Balázs Horváth: Unisono (2021) 12’ / The piece will be provided in pdf.

New piece written for the workshop by Sebastian Black following the instrumentation of Ligeti’s Kammermusik. / Score of the new piece will be provided in pdf by email to selected active conductors.

Thorough and detailed knowledge of all works is required for active participation. Each participant must provide his/her own scores. The newly composed piece will be sent to selected active conductors 1 month prior to the workshop unless special circumstances arise.

Application material for active conductors: online application form, video recording, curriculum vitae with repertoire list, photo. Online application submitted through the website of the foundation is obligatory. www.eotvosmusicfoundation.org

Up to 8 conductors will be accepted as “active” participants. The selection will take place based on the video recordings (youtube/ vimeo links) provided by the applicants. Regarding the videos, we kindly ask you to send us recordings of rehearsals instead of concerts, and we also recommend choosing 20^th or 21st century repertoire for conducting. Please, send only one link, cut or a link of a playlist with your application. The number of conductors selected by the professors is subject to change. We notify first the selected conductors and all other applicants are invited to join as observers.

Online application submitted through the website of the foundation is obligatory.

www.eotvosmusicfoundation.org

Course program for composers:

At this masterclass we welcome up to 6 composers (this number may change during the selection process) to take part to learn and to consult professors and sit in for rehearsals. We offer consultation with the professors where composers can show their works. These works will only be a subject of consultation and will not be performed. Selection will be made by the professors.

Application material for composers: online application form, curriculum vitae with photo and at least 3 pieces uploaded in pdf. Online application submitted through the website of the foundation is obligatory. www.eotvosmusicfoundation.org

Venue:

Budapest Music Center (1093 Budapest, Mátyás u. 8.) www.bmc.hu

Application deadline: 31 July 2023

Confirmation of the active status will be sent until 7 August 2023

We kindly ask selected active participants to get back to us right after the confirmation of their status so in any case of change we can select other candidates from the waiting list.

OBSERVER PARTICIPATION

Those who are not selected as active participants, are also welcomed as observers during the masterclass if they wish to. Please indicate the observer option after the confirmation of your status. You can also come only as an observer, please choose this option in the online application form. Concerning the unique program we highly recommend to consider this opportunity as well. Observers can attend all rehearsals, the public meeting and the closing concert.

COURSE FEE

Selected active conductor participants: 800 €

(to be paid until 21 August 2023)

Selected active composers: 300 € (to be paid until 21 August 2023)

Observers: 100 € (to be paid until 25 September 2023)

by bank transfer to the following account:

Peter Eötvös Contemporary Music Foundation

Bank name: K&H Bank Budapest

IBAN: HU76 1020 1006 6019 4912 0000 0000

BIC: OKHBHUHB

Partial attendance gives no right for fee reduction. We accept only bank transfer.

The course fee includes extra programs: during the course all participants receive tickets for jazz concerts in the Opus Jazz Club at the Budapest Music Center and they can attend public meetings and concerts organized by the foundation.

The fee does not include travel, accommodation and meals, participants shall arrange their own accommodation. Upon request, we can help to find private or hotel accommodation within walking distance of the venue. Our hotel partner is Ibis Centrum in Budapest, and we highly recommend their service.

COURSE SCHEDULE (DRAFT)

1 October At-table-consultations about the workshop pieces

2 October mustMEET Composers public meeting with Ramon Lazkano

2-5 October Rehearsals with orchestra at the BMC Concert Hall with Peter Eötvös, Gregory Vajda and Ramon Lazkano, private consultations for composers with professors

6 October Dress rehearsal and closing concert at the BMC

The rehearsals will be recorded in part on video and a short professional documentary film will be available online after the course. The concert will be available via live stream and a conductor cam recording will be made available for active conductors.

DIPLOMAS AND CERTIFICATES

Active participants will receive diploma, observers will receive attendance certificate, signed by all professors.

SPECIAL THANKS

We are thankful for the support of the Budapest Music Center, Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne, and Instituto Cervantes.