We were there - Classical:NEXT 2019
From May 15th to 18th, the big classical music conference, Classical:NEXT took place at de Doelen in Rotterdam. The conference was the most successful edition yet. Over 1300 professionals represented 45 countries at this year’s edition.
As a proud partner of this conference, Stingray Classica had a beautiful booth at the event to present the Classica app and television channel. Stingray’s Artistic Director, Rob Overman, gave a riveting keynote on ‘Streaming Video and Classical Music’. He talked about streaming as a big opportunity for classical music, and how artists, orchestras, venues, and other classical music companies can benefit from video streaming services such as the Classica app.
Over the course of the conference, there were many meetings and discussions on the future of classical music, as well as interesting presentations that explored the topic. Besides all the talking, the most important part was, of course, the music!
Klangmalerei.tv and Stingray recorded many of the daily showcases. Artists from all over the world performed classical music in innovative and creative ways. They pushed the boundaries of classical music and extended the horizons of art in music. For some ensembles, it was the first time that they performed in the Netherlands or as big a conference as Classical:NEXT.
Thursday afternoon started with Ensemble Hope from France. They explored new forms of contemporary music by using technology to present little-know instruments. One of the instruments was the Euphone, which looked very impressive. The ensemble doesn’t only make music, but also gives masterclasses, presentations, and workshops to involve people and explain their vision on the future of classical music and the instruments they use.
We already mentioned the Asko | Schönberg Ensemble in our Artists to Watch article, and it was indeed worth the watch! With the help of a speaker, they explained their way of producing new classical music with video technology that accompanies the music. They played a new piece by the Dutch composer Louis Andriessen. He is turning 80 in June and continues to contribute to the future of classical music.
Other inspiring acts, such as Gaybird, The Hermes Experiment and Kathleen Tagg & Andre Petersen assembled a big audience during their performance. You can watch these and all other performances on Stingray Classica soon. Please keep an eye out for the premiere of these showcases and check out our website for the latest information and broadcasting times. A big thank you to Classical:NEXT for having us as media partner and we hope to meet you next year at this inspiring and amazing event.
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