International Society for Contemporary Music

In 2015 Russian section of ISCM organized more than 70 concerts and performers in Russia and abroad and presented contemporary music by the composers of Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, USA, etc.
The events went in 25 Russian cities as well as in USA, Spain and in Switzerland.
Among the important events are:

I The Fifth International Young Composers Academy in Tchaikovsky-city www.academy.iscmrussia.ru
Annual International Young Composers Academy in Tchaikovsky city (Perm region) is the unique and only large-scale international young composers’ workshop in Russia. Artistic director is a composer Dmitri Kourliandski.
Academy is a creative laboratory for young composers and musicians from around the world. Visiting professors are well-known composers who hold individual sessions and group lectures. During fortnight workshop the young composers write new compositions which are rehearsed and performed in a series of final concerts – in Tchaikovsky, in Perm and in Moscow by the leading Russian group – the Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble (MCME). At the same time the MCME musicians carry out individual and ensemble master-classes for young Russian and foreign performers. There are also held training courses for teachers of music institutions of Perm region. During Academy there are organized several concerts, including the concert of the invited composers-professors.
The Tchaikovsky city is the very nice place for the Academy. Privacy and rest, remoteness from noise and big cities, wonderful landscapes dispose to fruitful creative concentration. The unique city in the world, called in honor of the composer, apparently, is created to be a cradle of musical creativity.
Every year more than 100 applications from all over the World come to the Academy. For participation in the V International Young Composers Academy 185 applications from 39 countries of the world arrived!
Fifth anniversary Academy went from August, 29th till September, 14th. There were invited the leading European composers-professors Beat Furrer (Switzerland/Austria), Peter Ablinger (Austria) and Raphael Cendo (France). The special guests were a composer Sergei Newski (Russia / Germany) and an ethnomusicologist Nadezhda Zhulanova (Russia).
There were selected
Composers students: Adrian Mokanu (Ukraine), Anton Svetlichny (Russia), Artur Zobnin (Russia), Benjamin Scheuer (Germany), Marina Poleukhina (Russia), Nicholas Moroz (United Kingdom), Oleg Gudachev (Russia), Shih-Ya Peng (Taiwan / China), Silvia Pepe (Italy), Thatchatham Silsupan (Thailand), Theocharis Papatrechas (Greece), Vladimir Gorlinsky (Russia)
Composers trainees: Elmir Nizamov (Russia), Lawrence Dunn (United Kingdom), Maxim Babintsev (Russia)
Composers auditors: Alexey Zaitsev (Russia), Anna Pospelova (Russia), Daniil Piltchen (Russia)
Edward Ryan (USA), Gevorg Badalyan (Armenia), Nina Alkhasova (Russia), Georgius Stavrou (Cyprus)

Schedule of Fifth International Young Composers Academy
27.08 – 28.08 arrival to Moscow, a train to Izhevsk
29.08 arrival to Izhevsk, transfer to Tchaikovsky
30.08 official opening of the Academy, a concert-opening
30.08 – 10.09 work at the Academy (individual and group classes with Beat Furrer, Peter Ablinger, Raphael Cendo, lectures of professors)
06.09 the concert of works by Beat Furrer, Peter Ablinger, Raphael Cendo in Tchaikovsky
11.09 the final concert of new composers’ works in Tchaikovsky
12.09 moving to Perm
12.09 the lectures of Beat Furrer and Peter Ablinger at the musical scientist conference in the Perm State University
13.09 the concert of works by Beat Furrer, Peter Ablinger, Raphael Cendo in Perm contemporary music festival “Sound 59”
14.09 flight to Moscow
14.09 the master-classes of Beat Furrer and Peter Ablinger in the Moscow State Conservatory
15.09 the final concert of new composers’ works in Moscow

The final concerts were take place in Tchaikovsky and in Moscow:
6 September
Tchaikovsky, Children Art School, 19:00
V International Young Composers Academy

Concert PROFESSORS AND TEACHERS OF THE ACADEMY
Igor Mashukov “Quartet in Memory of Evgeny Pamfilov” for clarinet, violin, cello and piano
Beat Furrer “Invocation” for voice and bass-flute
Sergei Newski “Lamento traffic” for voice and ensemble
Beat Furrer “Und irgendwo fern, sehr fern” for 2 pianos
Dmitri Kourliandski “Liederkreis” for voice and ensemble
Raphael Cendo “Rokh” for flute, violin, cello and piano
Peter Ablinger “16 Stȕcke. Aus: "Instruments &” for instruments and voices

11 September
Tchaikovsky, Children Art School, 18:00
14 September
Moscow Philharmonics Chamber Hall
V International Young Composers Academy
Final Concert NEW WORKS BY COMPOSERS STUDENTS

Adrian Mokanu (Ukraine) flute, clarinet, female voice
Anton Svetlichny (Russia) flute, clarinet, piano, cello
Artur Zobnin (Russia) female voice
Benjamin Scheuer (Germany) clarinet, piano, violin, cello, female voice
Vladimir Gorlinsky (Russia) flute (+ cello, piano ad lib)
Marina Poleukhina (Russia) cello
Nicholas Moroz (United Kingdom) flute, clarinet, piano, violin, cello
Oleg Gudachev (Russia) flute, clarinet, piano, violin
Silvia Pepe (Italy) piano, violin, cello
Thatchatham Silsupan (Thailand) female voice, violin
Theocharis Papatrechas (Greece) clarinet, cello
Ши Я Пенг (Китай) piano, flute, violin

II. INTEGRATIONS, Swiss-Russian project. Workshops, net-working, premieres, concerts

This project was a result of the closed net-working and cooperation of Swiss and Russian ISCM sections (Javier Hagen – Victoria Korshunova)
“Integrations” aims a new approach in using both voice and recorder inside the contemporary music ensemble: full integration of both instead of the classical 'solo + ensemble' constellation. On the one hand we have the Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble MCME with a 'Pierrot Quintet' (vl, vc, fl, cl, pno), on the other the Swiss Contemporary Music Duo UMS 'n JIP (voice, recorder, electronics). Both rank among the most active and most experienced ensembles of our times and do ideally fit with the program's requirements. “Integrations” consists of totally 7 works by Russian and Swiss composers: a) 4 existing works especially written for each ensemble, putting in evidence each ensemble's specific skills and sounds, and b) 3 commissions.

The program:
Mathias Steinauer (CH)
“7 letzte Mahlzeiten” 2013/4, für singer, recorders, live electronics, video
and objects
commissioned by UMS 'n JIP, performed by UMS 'n JIP

Vladimir Gorlinsky (RUS)
“Bramputapsel #1” 2011, for amplified voice
commissioned by UMS 'n JIP, performed by UMS 'n JIP

Denis Schuler (CH)
"Wide Invisible Sky" 2015, for voice, recorder, flute, bass clarinet,
violin, cello
commissioned by UMS 'n JIP, performed by MCME & UMS 'n JIP

Daniel Fueter (CH)
"Knöpfe - in Erinnerung an eine Erzählung von Bulgakov" 2015, for voice,
recorder, flute, bass clarinet, violin, cello and piano
commissioned by UMS 'n JIP, performed by MCME & UMS 'n JIP

Elena Rykova (RUS)
“Life expectancy #1. The Sun” 2016, for ensemble
commissioned by MCME, performed by MCME & UMS 'n JIP

Nadir Vassena (CH)
“Triptych – Crucifixion” 1998 for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano
performed by MCME

Alexey Sysoev (RUS)
“Beta Taurids” 2008 for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano
performed by MCME

The venues:
5 February 19:30
Moscow, National Centre for Contemporary Art (NCCA)
http://www.ncca.ru/

6 February 19:30
Saint-Petersburg, New Stage of Alexandrinsky Theater
http://thenewstage.ru/

10 February 20:00
Zürich, Kunstraum Walcheturm
http://walcheturm.ch

11 February 20:00
Basel, Druckereihalle im Ackermannshof
http://druckereihalle.ch

III. American-Russian project “MUSIC BRIDGE MOSCOW – CALIFORNIA”
Is a result of cooperation of MCME and California Universities. The project presented the works by Californian composers, among which are David Lefkowitz, John Kennedy, Vera Ivanova, Franck Bedrossian as well as the famous American composers Morton Feldman and David Lang. There were also presented music by Moscow contemporary composers: Dmitri Kourliandski, Sergei Newski, Alexey Sysoev and others. The project included several premieres written by David Lefkowitz and Vera Ivanova.

The project appeared after long-term cooperation between Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble (MCME) and Californian composers, professors of the leading Californian Universities (UCLA, CSULA, UC Berkeley and Chapman University) in a result of that there was established a close cultural exchange of American and Russian musicians. The project “Music Bridge Moscow-California” was take place both in Russia (Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Voronezh) and in USA.
In April, 2015 MCME was invited to California as the ensemble-in-residence of two universities UCLA and the Chapman University to provide the lectures, the concert-presentations of Russian and American contemporary music, the master-classes, the reading of the scores sessions, etc. There was organized a close networking between MCME and Californian musicians (composers, musicians, professors, students). There were also organized several meetings for the future collaboration with the musicians of CSULA and CSU Fullerton.
In November, 2015 two Californian composers David Lefkowitz (UCLA) and Vera Ivanova (the Chapman University) were invited to Russia as the composers-in-residence of MCME to participate in the Russian part of the project. Together with the MCME they took part in three concerts in Moscow, Voronezh and Saint-Petersburg as well as provide several master-classes, lectures about Californian contemporary music and meetings in the cities. It was very important that all concerts took place in the frames of well-known Russian festivals “Moscow Autumn” (Moscow), “Sound Ways” (Saint-Petersburg) and “Accord” (Voronezh).

IV. The Dutch-Russian project Jacob TV Pop-Opera THE NEWS
The project is a result of the long-term cooperation between Russia and the Netherlands.
Pop Opera THE NEWS is a reality show in which live music is synchronised with non-fiction footage from the international media, based on speech grooves.Two singing anchors present news items news items about politics, economy, religion, war and peace, showbiz and trivialities. The music, by Dutch composer JacobTV is a blend of classical, world, blues, jazz, rock, and pop music, performed by a nine piece band.
The project went in the leading Russian stages: Electrotheater STANISLAVSKY (Moscow) and Museum ERARTA (Saint-Petersburg) with participation of the Dutch composer Jacob ter Veldhaus and Moscow musicians.