Press Release – For Immediate Release
Johannesburg, 24 August 2023
ISCM World New Music Days Festival to be held in South Africa at the end of 2023
NewMusicSA is set to host the 2023 ISCM World New Music Days (WNMD) festival in South Africa, marking the 100th-anniversary edition of this historic celebration of music and creativity. This monumental event will make history as the first-ever WNMD festival to be held in Africa.
Taking place from November 24 to December 3, 2023, this 10-day extravaganza will bring together over 100 composers from 50 countries, making it a global hub for new ideas, collaborations, and artistic fusions.
With more than 70 groundbreaking new music compositions performed by an impressive line-up of over 200 musicians across 25+ events, WNMD 2023 will be the most significant assembly of contemporary music ever witnessed on the African continent.
Since its inception in 1922, the ISCM - International Society for Contemporary Music has been a pivotal network for new music worldwide. Every year, the World New Music Days festival takes place in a different city around the world. The ISCM World New Music Days 2023 festival will grace Gauteng and the Western Cape in South Africa, with events in Johannesburg, Soweto, Cape Town, and the surrounding areas. In partnership with the German group Ensemble Modern and ISCM WNMD educational partners, including MIAGI - Music is a Great Investment and Morris Isaacson Music Centre, the festival's community outreach efforts will include rehearsals, workshops, masterclasses, and public performances.
This unique festival will showcase a rich tapestry of new music compositions, both from South Africa and the international stage. As Lukas Ligeti, Artistic Director of the festival, expressively puts it: "There are three programmatic pillars to the festival. The first upholds the fundamental principle of ISCM World New Music Days, ensuring that at least one composition from each chapter organization is performed. The second pillar pays tribute to the festival's historical significance by revisiting some of the landmark works of the 20th and 21st centuries presented at previous editions. Lastly, the third pillar highlights the festival's distinctiveness by presenting a diverse and eclectic selection of new, experimental, and unconventional music from Africa south of the Sahara." A dedicated special program named Oluzayo – African Music Futures will feature futuristic African music curated by a team of programmers from Kenya, South Africa, Germany, Spain, Austria and the USA.
Among the confirmed artistic highlights are some of today's most renowned composers and musicians, with the festival featuring, among others, Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, Odeion String Quartet, Coastal Brass Collective, Victor Gama (Angola), Kadilida & Jay Mitta (Tanzania), Burkina Electric (Burkina Faso), Ensemble Modern (Germany), Umze Ensemble (Hungary), Passepartout Duo (Italy/US), Akartia Trio & Casado-Croccolino Duo (Spain), Vertixe Sonora ensemble (Spain), and many more.
The festival promises to be an unparalleled celebration of music, culture, and artistic innovation, leaving an indelible mark on the world of contemporary music.
Stay Informed
NewMusicSA will provide frequent updates on festival planning through its website, social media platforms, and various media outlets. The ISCM - International Society for Contemporary Music and NewMusicSA eagerly anticipate your participation in the upcoming WNMD 2023 events. Please mark your calendars for these historic dates.
Organiser Links
Website: www.newmusicsa.org.za
Facebook: www.facebook.com/NewMusicSA
Instagram: www.instagram.com/newmusicsa
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@newmusicsa
Twitter: www.twitter.com/NewMusicSA
Hashtags: #WNMD2023 #NewMusicSA
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Hi-Res Pictures & Artwork
https://www.dropbox.com/home/WNMD%202023%20-%2024%20August%20Announcement
Media Contact
Sinenhlanhla Mdiya – +27 83 625 5323 / sinenhlanhlamdiya@gmail.com
Notes for the Editor
NewMusicSA is a non-profit arts advocacy organisation that promotes the creation, performance, and enjoyment of South African new music. Founded in 1999 and operating formally since 2003, NewMusicSA is the South African section (and current only African section) of the International Society for Contemporary Music - ISCM. NewMusicSA is supported by the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust and the Rupert Music Foundation. For more information, please visit our website www.newmusicsa.org.za, follow @NewMusicSA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
WNMD 2023
The World New Music Days 2023 in South Africa will be an unprecedented, historical milestone event for multiple reasons. First, it will be the ISCM’s centenary celebration and centennial edition of the festival. It will be the first WNMD ever to take place in Africa, the third time this festival is held in the southern hemisphere and the third time it takes place in a country of the Global South. No festival for new, innovative and experimental music of this breadth and magnitude has ever been organized on the African continent. The WNMD 2023 will be a defining moment for contemporary music in South Africa and the rest of the continent.
The ISCM - International Society for Contemporary Music
The ISCM - International Society for Contemporary Music is the world's leading network of organizations supporting new contemporary classical music. Founded in Austria in 1922, it today has roughly 60 member organizations located in more than 50 countries around the world. Its flagship activity is a yearly festival of new art music, the World New Music Days, which was first held in 1923 and which migrates to a different country every year.
