Peter Eötvös Foundation - Mentoring Program

“It’s high time to eliminate the word contemporary from the expression contemporary music – it should be music & quality in the first place.”

20 years of

TALENT MANAGEMENT

Table of contents 2 About Us – Peter Eötvös and Gregory Vajda 6 Mentoring Program 10 Participants of the Mentoring Program 50 mustMEET Composers series 54 The history of the Foundation 62 Our supporters

About Us

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Foreword by Peter Eötvös “The goals we are trying to achieve at the masterclasses of the Peter Eötvös Foundation are always diverse, just like the art of conducting itself. First and foremost you have to teach such movements of the hands that prove to be useful for an entire career, and you have to make sure that these movements are naturally connected to the music itself, while they exist in their natural state throughout the life of a young conductor. Then comes all the basic knowledge that I myself have collected from day to day, concert to concert during my most active years. These are such, sometimes seemingly minor details of the profession without which you cannot proceed: how to study a new piece, never heard before, how to put together a rehearsal schedule, how to manage rehearsal time, how to lead a diverse group of musicians, and so on. We have always aimed at introducing a repertoire to the new generations of musicians that, for different reasons, was ignored during their official studies. In the case of new music, one also has to experience ways to work together with the composer present to achieve the best musical result. Conducting is an organic, ever evolving, always changing form of performing arts. What I have learned from Boulez or from Stockhausen is filtered through my own experiences and is being passed on to the next generations, so they themselves can pass this accumulated and layered craft on later. Rabindranath Tagore famously said: he, who plants trees, knowing that he will never sit in their shadow, at least started to understand the meaning of life. In conducting, just like in all types of performing arts, passing on knowledge and experience is like planting a tree. I hope that friendships made during the programs of our Foundation last a lifetime, and – although I will not be there to see it – these young conductors will carry with them those forever useful.”

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Foreword by Gregory Vajda “Teaching is learning. In the past decade I have had the amazing opportunity to join Peter Eötvös and world renown guest professors, composers and conductors alike, to run the masterclasses and the mentoring program of the Peter Eötvös Foundation. When it comes to performing arts, the only real knowledge is practice, and this is what we have been trying to provide to our students.

The Foundation has invited young conductors and composers from all over the world to learn about their chosen art form by producing a concert within the frames of our programs. But also the Foundation has provided a one of a kind opportunity for me to learn by teaching these talented individuals. Every master class is a journey during which students and professors alike become more knowledgeable and receive vital real time information about contemporary composers, new and classical compositions, and about the state of our business in general. Our unique programs have been tailored to the real needs of the business we are all in, and they have been influencing the very same business at the same time by providing a safe environment to try out solutions that can be useful in real life circumstances. I am looking forward to another decade of learning by teaching alongside Peter Eötvös and other great musicians.”

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Mentoring Program

Mentoring Program Peter Eötvös Contemporary Music Foundation has announced its mentoring program for young professional conductors and composers for 2018, 2019 and 2020, and the period has been extended until 2023.

Due to COVID-19 some mentoring concerts and workshops have been canceled or postponed, or just held online for the mentees.

Leading professors of the program were: Peter Eötvös (conductor, composer), Gregory Vajda (conductor, composer). For all working periods we have invited renowned guest professors and musicians.

The main supporter of the program was Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne.

Peter Eötvös Foundation provided accommodation and travel costs for the selected composers and conductors. They could participate in the programs free of charge, as part of the mentoring program. The mentored composers and conductors got the chance to have special consultations with orchestra managers, festival managers, communication specialists, they could also visit great concert halls and opera houses, and widen their professional network.

After the mentoring year, the conductors and composers had the opportunity to showcase their work with a large orchestra as we had a cooperation with Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra, Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Danubia Orchestra (permanent orchestra partner of the foundation), Savaria Orchestra, and Orchestra of Győr.

We welcomed 1 or 2 conductors and 1 or 2 composers for each mentoring year.

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Our guest professors during the five years were 2018

Johannes Schöllhorn, Kathinka Pasveer, Alessandro Solbiati, Catherine Milliken, Camilla Hoitenga

2019

Heinz Holliger, Kaija Saariaho, Hanspeter Kyburz, Elizabeth Laurence

2020

Fabián Panisello, George Benjamin

2021

György Kurtág, Georges Aperghis

2022

Magnus Lindberg, Stefano Gervasoni, Unsuk Chin, Balázs Horváth

2023

Stefano Gervasoni, Ramon Lazkano, Balázs Horváth

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Toby Thatcher

conductor, 2018

Peter Eötvös stands out as one of the most important influences on my development as a conductor & musician. His knowledge, generosity, kindness & determination guided my approach not just to conducting contemporary music, but to engaging with new music and composers in general, and forever improved my musical technique and mentality.

Peter’s Foundation and Mentoring Program provided me space to improve, to build a lasting network of colleagues, and to work with highcaliber musicians within Hungary. His willingness to advise and support me has reached far beyond my expectations, and the official years of mentorship within the Program.

Since my time with the Foundation I have had a number of wonderful opportunities to make music, build relationships with ensembles, and improve as a conductor and musician. I have debuted with Ensemble Intercontemporain at the Paris Philharmonie, returned to work with Ensemble Modern, won Assistant Conductor positions with the Orchestre National de France and Orchestre National d’Île-de-France and guestAssisted the London Philharmonic Orchestra, been a finalist in 3 international competitions, and worked for the first time with ensembles in Norway, Croatia, Slovenia, Iceland and Australia. I’m looking forward to what comes next!

mentoring concert 14 November 2019, Pécs

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Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra

pieces premiered with the Foundation

Aaron Holloway-Nahum: Vernichtung

Aaron Holloway-Nahum: The Long March

soloist: Horia Dumitrache – bass clarinet

Aaron Holloway-Nahum: Vernichtung

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Su-Han Yan

conductor, 2018

Participating in the Mentoring Program of the Peter Eötvös Contemporary Music Foundation is one of the most meaningful events of my life. The experience of being mentored by Prof. Eötvös and Prof. Vajda gave me not only an insight into the profession of conducting, but also fundamental support to my professional career. During the masterclasses, we learned effective approaches to contemporary music and comprehensive knowledge of each masterpiece. The professors led us to check every note and information on the score, and to sing the music with its character and all articulations, then showed us how to conduct each beat in order to communicate the necessary information to the musicians. We also gained plenty of practical experiences by working with an ensemble or an orchestra under the guidance of professors.

After completing the Mentoring Program I kept receiving invitations to perform contemporary music and to collaborate with composers. I worked with the Camerata Taiwan presenting the world premieres of Taiwanese composers’ works during concert tours at home in Taiwan and abroad in Germany, in 2022. A new album consisting of compositions by Taiwanese composers will be released soon. At the 2022 Weiwuying International Music Festival, I conducted the Weiwuying Contemporary Ensemble performing two programs of contemporary music and received critical acclaim. In October 2022, I conducted the world premiere of the opera Fateless Love composed by Shiuan Chang. My current occupations include Assistant Conductor of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Chief Conductor of Camerata Taiwan.

mentoring concert 26 November 2019, Budapest

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pieces premiered with the Foundation

Hungarian Radio Orchestra

Alex Nante: Jeu de Rite

Alex Nante: Flute Concerto

Aaron Holloway-Nahum: Words repeated arrive eventually and irresistibly at prayer

soloist: Camilla Hoitenga – flute

Alex Nante: Flute Concerto

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Aaron Holloway-Nahum

composer, 2018

It made a deep impression on all of us that we got to make Budapest a second home for the duration of this course – returning to a place for a third, fourth, fifth time really changes your relationship to it. The professional connections we made as mentees was thus incredibly strong. This year was the first time I met musicians such as Horia Dumitrache, who has become a trusted and close collaborator, performed in my ensemble, and next year will commission and perform a new professional work; Catherine Milliken, who has been a musical inspiration, connection to numerous spokes in the professional world, colleague and friend in music; and Fabian Panisello, who commissioned a piece for his Plural Ensemble in Madrid, and next year will be one of the first guest conductors of Riot Ensemble (my conducting colleague Toby Thatcher was the first!).

I have had the great pleasure to make my conducting debut at festivals such as Wien Modern, Darmstadt, Aldeburgh, Tzlil Meudchan and Musiikin aika. As a composer it’s been busy, and in the past year I’ve particularly enjoyed the premiere of a trombone concerto (Days, Distance, Days). My double harp concerto (Everything Around Me is Crying to be Gone) was premiered in Chicago in February. I had a large ensemble work (I Confused the Shadow with the Light), and my large-scale piece for video and quartet (Things to do in the Belly of the Whale) toured the USA.

pieces premiered with the Foundation Aaron Holloway-Nahum: The Long March Aaron Holloway-Nahum: Words repeated arrive eventually and irresistibly at prayer

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mentoring concert

Alex Nante: Dynamis – as conductor

14 November 2019, Pécs

Abram Omri: Zohar – as conductor

Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra

Aaron Holloway-Nahum: Ezra’s Nursery

Aaron Holloway-Nahum: Vernichtung

Aaron Holloway-Nahum: Like a Memory of Birds II.

soloist: Horia Dumitrache – bass clarinet

Aaron Holloway-Nahum: Vernichtung

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Alex Nante

composer, 2018

For me the Peter Eötvös Mentoring Program was a life-changing experience. I’ve learned a lot under the guidance of Peter Eötvös and Gregory Vajda, and I’m extremely grateful for their support and generosity. Each session I participated in was focused on the challenges of composing for particular instrumentations: mixed ensemble, string trio and woodwind quintet. Word-leading composers were specially invited to give us their advice on our work, and to explore their personal artistic views. I would recommend this experience to all young composers and conductors. In the Mentoring Program I could find not only an extremely professional artistic environment, but also a supportive and encouraging one. There is really nothing else like it.

Since then, I’ve been composing a lot, writing mainly orchestral music. I’m now the composer in residence of the Orchestre National de Lille, for which I wrote three orchestral pieces: Sinfonía del Cuerpo de Luz, the piano concerto Luz de lejos, and Sinfonía no. 2 – Mystérion, for soprano, tenor, choir, and orchestra. The LA Phil commissioned and performed my orchestral work El Río de Luz, which was conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, and the Haydn Orchestra commissioned and performed O Nata Lux, which was conducted by Kent Nagano. I’ve received a PhD from King's College London, where I studied with Sir George Benjamin. I recently received the Prix Pisar for composers.

pieces premiered with the Foundation

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mentoring concert

Alex Nante: Rite et Jeu

26 November 2019, Budapest

Alex Nante: Ora

Hungarian Radio Orchestra

Alex Nante: Dynamis

Alex Nante: Flute Concerto

Alex Nante: Las noches de las piedras

soloist: Camilla Hoitenga – flute

Alex Nante: Flute Concerto

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Boon Hua Lien

conductor, 2019

The Peter Eötvös Mentoring Program has been a truly life-changing experience for me, as it fulfilled several important needs in my personal development as a young conductor: an emphasis on contemporary music, collaboration with great colleagues, exposure to more orchestras/ensembles and most importantly, learning from a wonderful mentor like Peter Eötvös. Working closely and regularly with Peter over the year gave me deep insight into his philosophy, his approach to preparing a score, and the importance of a positive and warm working atmosphere with musicians. On top of that, the 2019/2020 mentoring class was also a highlight of the Program for me. I firmly believe that the relationships formed during the Mentoring Program will continue to blossom, and it’s exciting to see what the future holds.

Following the Peter Eötvös Mentoring Program, my professional landscape has expanded significantly. I’ve had the privilege of leading premieres of numerous contemporary pieces across Singapore and Asia.

Significant performances include a large-scale work for the Esplanade’s 20th anniversary with the Singapore Symphony and conducting the Asian premiere of Peter Eötvös’s Dialog mit Mozart with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta. In Singapore, I’ve founded a professional chamber orchestra aimed at exploring exciting new repertoire. Inspired by my experiences with Peter, I have taken up a mantle in education and have been teaching conducting and leading youth orchestras.

mentoring concert

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07 December 2023, Pécs

pieces premiered with the Foundation

Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra

Donghoon Shin: Concerto for the Most Ordinary Things

Donghoon Shin: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra

Donghoon Shin: Song Book

soloist: Kristóf Baráti – violin

Donghoon Shin: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra

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Rémi Durupt

conductor, 2019

The Peter Eötvös Foundation Mentoring Program is a place where wonderful musicians can share their passion for art and increase their own skills in conducting and composing. Staying in Budapest during such a long period alongside famous composers and conductors, and close to such great Hungarian orchestras and ensembles, always combined with great repertoire and world premieres, gave me confidence and an energy coming from deep inside of my own musical personality.

Since then, I had the chance to make my debut in opera houses in France (Rennes and Angers-Nantes) as principal director of three shows: Igor Stravinsky (The Rake’s Progress), Marcel Landowski and Guillaume Hazebrouck. I also did two productions as assistant conductor of Michael Jarrell’s music and the premiere of Philippe Leroux’s opera. I won the Antal Dorati International Conducting Competition in 2021 in Budapest. I could say this is my lucky city! Since then, I have had many symphonic concerts abroad like Armenia, Poland and Hungary, performing contemporary music and repertoire.

mentoring concert

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10 March 2023, Szombathely

pieces premiered with the Foundation

Savaria Orchestra

Mikel Urquiza: Respirare L’Ombra

Mikel Urquiza: Pentimenti

Mikel Urquiza: Ars memoriae

soloist: Dániel Janca – percussion

Mikel Urquiza: Pentimenti

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Donghoon Shin

composer, 2019

It was a great privilege to meet so many great conductor and composer friends and learn their music through the Mentoring Program. The advice of Prof. Eötvös and Prof. Vajda has been of great support, was absolutely crucial for my career, and I have been able to make a big step ahead as a composer.

During the Mentoring Program, I have been privileged to write a new piece for the Karajan Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Prof. Eötvös in 2019. After the first collaboration with them, I have been honored to receive the Claudio Abbado Composition Prize of the Berlin Phil, and I have been commissioned a Cello Concerto for the 50th Anniversary concert of the Karajan Academy. The piece was premiered by the joint orchestra of Berlin Phil and Karajan Academy under the baton of Kirill Petrenko in May 2022. There is another collaboration with the Berlin Philharmonic scheduled in the coming season. I have also been commissioned by the LA Philharmonic, Bamberg Symphony and Seoul Philharmonic for a new orchestral piece, which was premiered in April 2023 in LA. My earlier pieces are published by Ricordi and now I am working with Boosey & Hawkes thanks to an exclusive publication contract.

pieces premiered with the Foundation

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mentoring concert

Donghoon Shin: Your Doubles

07 December 2023, Pécs

Donghoon Shin: Concerto for the Most Ordinary Things

Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra

Donghoon Shin: Song Book

Donghoon Shin: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra

Donghoon Shin: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra

soloist: Kristóf Baráti – violin

Donghoon Shin: Of Rats and Men

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Mikel Urquiza

composer, 2019

The masterclasses organized by the Foundation were well prepared and have proved to be useful for the development of my career. I would like to emphasize the quality of the musical aspects of the Program, since the Hungarian musicians are skilled and hard-working, the rehearsals are efficient and the advice of the professors, who are very present, is always accurate and kind. The concerts are well attended, and it has been a pleasure to have my works premiered at the beautiful BMC Concert Hall.

Beyond the Program as such, there is something very important happening at the Peter Eötvös Foundation: the presence of composers and conductors from different origins make it an outstanding place to meet other peers and remember that music is a social activity, based on empathy and friendship. It has been a truly enriching experience at many levels, and I feel thankful for this opportunity.

In the last few years, I have had the chance to collaborate with important ensembles, such as the Ensemble Intercontemporain and the KarajanAkademie of the Berliner Philharmoniker. In 2020 I was a fellow of the French Academy in Rome, Villa Medici, in 2022 I received the composer prize of the Siemens Musikstiftung, and I am currently composer in residence at Divertimento Ensemble in Milan. I have recently published two portrait CDs, and I am also writing a PhD thesis entitled “Music regained: memory at work in musical composition”.

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mentoring concert

pieces premiered with the Foundation

10 March 2023, Szombathely

Mikel Urquiza: Monte Altissimo

Savaria Orchestra

Mikel Urquiza: Respirare L’Ombra

Mikel Urquiza: Pentimenti

Mikel Urquiza: Ars memoriae

soloist: Dániel Janca – percussion

Mikel Urquiza: Pentimenti

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Holly Hyun Choe

conductor, 2020

Despite the pandemic, the Foundation still offered many opportunities to join rehearsals online, have private lessons with guest composers and Peter. When we did have in-person masterclasses, the orchestras were always very professional, open-minded, flexible, and welcoming. The Foundation staff has become a part of my support team. They were always available to accommodate you, give you advice, and direct you to other resources for your needs. Something else incredible about this Mentoring Program is that it creates an organic way for the mentees to mutually build their own network. I’m excited to see how our future interweaves us all again. I am most grateful to have met Maestro Eötvös, one of the most knowledgeable, caring, generous, and holistic musicians I have ever met.

Since the Mentoring Program, I had the opportunity to assist Esa-Pekka Salonen, Simone Young, Francois-Xavier Roth and work for two seasons at the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich as the Assistant Conductor under Paavo Järvi. I have also been selected to participate in the Ammodo Conducting Masterclass with Fabio Luisi and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

From the 2022/23 season alone, my debuts and engagements included: Komische Oper Berlin, Staatstheater Darmstadt, Oakland Symphony, Tucson Symphony, and many more. I currently have two positions: Principal Conductor of ensemble reflektor and Artiste Associé of L’Orchestre de Chambre de Genève.

mentoring concert 07 December 2021, Budapest

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Danubia Orchestra

pieces premiered with the Foundation

Donghoon Shin: Of Rats and Men

Leonardo Marino: Autoritratto

soloist: József Balog – piano

Donghoon Shin: Of Rats and Men

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Joanna Natalia Slusarczyk

conductor, 2020

I’m extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to be part of this wonderful program. It provides a unique chance for young conductors and composers to work on contemporary music repertoire with great orchestras and ensembles, perform world premieres, meet great composers, learn about new possibilities of interpretation and performance methods – all under the guidance of the best educators – maestro Peter Eötvös and Gregory Vajda. During the pandemic period we continued to have the opportunity to meet online, watch rehearsals and concerts and have extremely inspiring one-on-one sessions with Maestro Eötvös. Since my mentoring year, I’ve had the opportunity to work with great orchestras across Europe such as: Orchestre de Paris, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Orquestra Gulbenkian, Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, Orchestre National de Metz, Cannes, Lille, Opéra de Tours and many others. In 2022 I won the 2nd Prize at “La Maestra Competition” in Paris, as well as two special prizes: “Echo Prize” and “French Concert Halls Prize”. Among the concerts closely related to the Mentoring Program, I’d like to mention the collaboration with Óbudai Danubia Zenekar / Danubia Orchestra Óbuda, where I had the great pleasure to conduct excerpts of two Hungarian premieres: Aurora by Peter Eötvös with Matthew McDonald and Migrants by Georges Aperghis. I’d also like to highlight the project with the Chorakademie and Orchesterakademie des WDR Sinfonieorchesters Köln, as well as a concert with the Pannon Filharmonikusok in Pécs, where I conducted the world premiere of the Cello Concerto written by Leonardo Marino and performed by Ditta Rohmann. I’m extremely grateful to the Peter Eötvös Foundation for supporting me in my conducting activity and invaluable help in the development of my artistic path. mentoring concert 07 April 2022, Pécs

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pieces premiered with the Foundation

Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra

Hankyeol Yoon: Theaterleben

Leonardo Marino: Cello concerto

Leonardo Marino: We were come to see the dawn

soloist: Ditta Rohmann – cello

Leonardo Marino: Cello concerto

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Hankyeol Yoon

composer, 2020

My pieces were conducted and played by amazing musicians. To be able to hear how my music actually sounds, right after writing it, has been a great privilege. I could eventually establish my own musical ideas and could also trust more about my composing technique. For example, the first piece that was premiered at the Mentoring Program was Theaterleben for a large ensemble. It is supposed to be a funny parody piece, but I haven’t written such a funny and amusing piece for a long time before that. After Theaterleben, I could trust more in my musical humor and could write two more pieces in a somewhat similar manner. It was also a great honor that Peter Eötvös conducted my first string orchestra piece Idly Idyll.

Through my work in the Mentoring Program as a composer, I received invitations from Tongyeong International Music Festival & Unsuk Chin, as well as from Ensemble Modern Frankfurt, both in 2021. They played a successor/sequel piece for Hipab that was also premiered at the Mentoring Program during the pandemic. The piece is called Grande Hipab. Unfortunately Grande Hipab became my last piece until now, because my career as conductor has suddenly arisen since then. Since the end of 2021, I’ve been mainly working as a freelance conductor. Last year I had several tours to South Korea and Japan. This summer I made my debut at the Salzburg Festival and at the George Enescu Festival.

pieces premiered with the Foundation Hankyeol Yoon: Theaterleben

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As Hankyeol Yoon has not finished writing his concerto,

Hankyeol Yoon: Idly Idyll

the mentoring concert never took place.

Hankyeol Yoon: Hipab

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Leonardo Marino

composer, 2020

The Mentoring Program at the Eötvös Foundation was the most professionally formative experience of my life. Working closely with Peter Eötvös and trying to “steal” some of his immense knowledge, has allowed me to demand more and more of myself in terms of quality and professionalism.

I was able to refine my compositional technique and I learned, also thanks to the precious advice of Gregory Vajda, how to be able to use rehearsal time efficiently, respecting the professionalism of the performers. By the end of the Program, I realized I had become another composer. A more reliable, professional, and mature composer.

Despite the problems related to the pandemic and post-pandemic situation, I have been able to appreciate improvements in my artistic production. I won two international competitions (Enescu Competition chamber music section, Concorso 2 Agosto) and I noticed that taking part in the Mentoring Program and being associated with the name of the Peter Eötvös Foundation made it easier to communicate with the artistic and musical directors.

Being a mentee at the Peter Eötvös Foundation has definitely been a milestone in my musical life.

pieces premiered with the Foundation

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mentoring concert

Leonardo Marino: Autoritratto

07 April 2022, Pécs

Leonardo Marino: Looking at your soul with a telescope

Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra

Leonardo Marino: Previsioni del tempo

Leonardo Marino: Cello concerto

Leonardo Marino: We were come to see the dawn

soloist: Ditta Rohmann – cello

Leonardo Marino: Cello concerto

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Martin Rajna

conductor, 2021

The Mentoring Program of the Peter Eötvös Contemporary Music Foundation was a fantastic opportunity to closely study the attitude coming from the aspect of a creator-performer, and to start using in practice all the important, and until then unused, musical perspectives in my own conducting. A new dimension opened in understanding the intentions of a composer, thanks in no small part to their personal presence.

Magnus Lindberg, Fabián Panisello, György Kurtág and last but not least Peter Eötvös are such creator-performer masters whose influence extends well beyond the time of the program, and experiencing their musical thinking serves as a signpost that can be safely followed even in the most challenging scores.

Following the Mentoring Program, partly drawing on its experiences, in the summer of 2022 I participated in the Conductor Fellowship program at the Lucerne Festival Academy, where I continued my studies under the guidance of Thomas Adés.

mentoring concert 19 March 2023, Győr Győr Philharmonic Orchestra

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Balázs Kecskés D.: Viola concerto

pieces premiered with the Foundation

soloist: Máté Szűcs – viola

Balázs Kecskés D.: Viola concerto

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Jonas Bürgin

conductor, 2021

The time spent in the Mentoring Program at the Eötvös Foundation was one of the most formative parts of my training as a conductor. Working with Peter Eötvös, Gregory Vajda and the invited guest professors opened up new ways of seeing and understanding music for me, and I was able to gain a deep insight into the fascinating world of Eötvös’ compositions.

In the masterclasses I was able to work with some of the leading composers and musicians from all over Europe and from these moments I gained a lot of inspiration and learned a lot. The great support while being outside Budapest opened many doors for me. And finally, many new friendships have been made throughout Europe during my time in the Mentoring Program, and I am very thankful for the many long-lasting memories.

Since the start of the mentoring, I have won the Opptakt Competition in Norway in 2021, and I have conducted debuts with orchestras like Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Orchestre de Piccardie, Orchestra Svizzera Italiana etc. As chief conductor of the Resonart Camerata and as a permanent guest conductor of the Central Swiss Youth Orchestra, I have performed in concert halls like the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg and KKL Lucerne. Concerts have been recorded and broadcasted by the Swiss Radio, NDR and the Norwegian Radio. Furthermore, I have been assistant to Ed Gardner and the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra on one of their tours.

mentoring concert 08 February 2024, Budapest Danubia Orchestra

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Francisco Domínguez: Gaur – concerto for accordion and orchestra

pieces premiered with the Foundation

soloist: Olga Morral – accordion

Francisco Domínguez: Gaur – concerto for accordion and orchestra

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Francisco Domínguez

composer, 2021

The quality of the program that I would like to highlight is that it has given me the possibility to work with great composers and conductors, both teachers and colleagues. And from them, I have drawn many ideas and strategies to approach my work in the most appropriate way possible in each situation. It has also been interesting to see how different conductors have approached my work, testing the effectiveness of my writing.

It has been, no doubt, an experience that has made me grow as a musician and as a composer for which I am very grateful.

Since the Mentoring Program I have developed new projects of different natures, such as a couple of works that were recorded by the prestigious record label IBS: one with BilbaoSinfonieta and the flamenco singer Maria Toledo, and another with the Trio ZUKAN. Apart from that, there have been many other premieres, for instance my first concerto for accordion and orchestra with the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra and Iñaki Alberdi, a saxophone quartet with SIGMA Project, or a trio for the Desclasificados Cycle, directed by Baldur Bröniman in Madrid. This year a new adventure will begin in an artistic residency that will take place in the Herrenhaus in Edenkoven. During that residence, I will be immersed in my work and take inspiration from the work of the other participants, most of them coming from different areas. Apart from this, the ensemble IEMA will premiere in Frankfurt a work that I have just written also in connection with the residency. I am very grateful to the Peter Eötvös Foundation and the maestro for all the inspiration and opportunities they have offered me.

mentoring concert 08 February 2024, Budapest

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pieces premiered with the Foundation

Danubia Orchestra

Francisco Domínguez: Kharir IV

Francisco Domínguez: Gaur – concerto for accordion and orchestra

Francisco Domínguez: Gaur – concerto for accordion and orchestra

soloist: Olga Morral – accordion

Francisco Domínguez: Sol de invierno

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Balázs Kecskés D.

composer, 2021

I can genuinely say that taking part in all the projects were great experiences. I had plenty of consultations with Peter Eötvös, and I learned a lot during these meetings. Peter spoke about dramaturgy, what it is important to pay attention to while starting to compose a piece, and how important it is to “hear” the piece even during composing as if it was being played in a concert hall. His comments on instrumentation and other technical details also made a big impression on me. Two of my chamber pieces have been premiered during the extended Mentoring Program (Wind and Extrodaesia), and both have been preceded by long rehearsal terms. These gave me the opportunity to fine-tune the pieces and try out different solutions. It was invaluably useful. Gregory Vajda and Balázs Horváth have also helped the composition with their useful comments.

The closing project of my Program was a Viola Concerto that was premiered in 2023 with Máté Szűcs, Martin Rajna and the Győr Philharmonic Orchestra. The last years have been eventful in the musical aspect of my life. In February 2022 my piece Blue, commissioned by the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, was premiered conducted by Gergely Madaras in the Concertgebouw. In the same year, my oratorio Komm was performed in Gdansk and in Helsinki by the Helsinki Chamber Choir, conducted by Nils Schweckendiek. This March I also had an evening dedicated to my compositions (Komm, a solo piano composition and my Piano Concerto premiered in 2022) in the Ceremonial Hall of The Pesti Vigadó. I’m grateful, because my pieces are regularly performed in Hungary and outside of the country as well, and I receive inspiring composition requests. For 2023/24 I’ll write choral pieces for the San Francisco Vocal Artists.

mentoring concert 19 March 2023, Győr

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pieces premiered with the Foundation

Győr Philharmonic Orchestra

Balázs Kecskés D.: Wind

Balázs Kecskés D.: Viola concerto

Balázs Kecskés D.: Extrodaesia

soloist: Máté Szűcs – viola

Balázs Kecskés D.: Viola Concerto

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Nicolò Umberto Foron

conductor, 2022

Working with composers has always been very important to me. Working with Peter Eötvös and Gregory Vajda was a great continuation of this thought, as they put me in close connection with so much experience and knowledge. It was the perfect mentoring at the perfect time for me, and I am very grateful for it and have many fond memories. Peter always had some detailed comments for me that I will treasure forever, and I will remember the many weeks we spent together discussing such a great repertoire. A true inspiration!

I was really pleased to get a job in Paris as Principal Chief Assistant Conductor of Ensemble Intercontemporain shortly after the start of the Mentoring Program. I am also incredibly thrilled that I won the Donatella Flick Conducting Competition in 2023. That means that I will be the assistant of the London Symphony orchestra for the next season and also conduct some concerts of my own with them. This has given me tremendous exposure and I am grateful to see where this brings me. It’s a perfect balance right now, as I am working with arguably the best orchestra in the world for contemporary music in Paris and now one of the best orchestras in the world for traditional and romantic repertoire in London. This year I have also been awarded by the Deutschland Funk the title of “the best young artist of the year”. With this prize, I am entitled to a concert tour and a CD recording with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin in 2024.

mentoring concert 01 October 2024, Szombathely Savaria Orchestra

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Jongsung Oh: Concerto for viola and orchestra

pieces premiered with the Foundation

soloist: Odile Auboin – viola

Jongsung Oh: Concerto for viola and orchestra

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Jongsung Oh

composer, 2022

During the Mentoring Program, I had the opportunity to meet and learn from renowned composers whom I deeply admire, allowing me to immerse myself in their world of music. This experience greatly expanded my perspective on music. Moreover, I came to realize the significance of effective communication not only with conductors and musicians, but also with all members of the staff. Through this communication, I became aware of the disparity between my fantasy and reality, and I was able to bridge that gap. Furthermore, I experienced a synergy that went beyond my own imagined boundaries, thanks to the power of effective communication.

I had three concerts after the Mentoring Program. My orchestral piece Palimpsest was commissioned as part of the Liszt-Biennale and premiered by the Thüringen Philharmonie at the Kulturhaus in Gotha and the Landesmusiktheater in Eisenach, in May 2023. My orchestral piece A Horny Faun’s Rampage (orchestral version) was premiered at the Musikverein Großer Saal in Wien, as part of the Korean-Austrian 130th Anniversary Concert, in November 2022.

In addition, an ensemble piece Mori Nori was premiered in Tongyeung, South Korea music festival.

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mentoring concert

pieces premiered with the Foundation

01 October 2024, Szombathely

Jongsung Oh: A Horny Faun’s Rampage

Savaria Orchestra

Jongsung Oh: Swing

Jongsung Oh: Concerto for viola and orchestra

Jongsung Oh: Concerto for viola and orchestra

soloist: Odile Auboin – viola

Jongsung Oh: Concertino for Flute, Clarinet, Harp and String Quartet

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Gabriel Hollander

conductor, 2023

Being part of the Mentoring Program of the Peter Eötvös Foundation surpassed any expectation I had of it before entering for the first time the Budapest Music Center. The way the program brings together multiple composers and multiple conductors in the same place at the same time creates a unique opportunity for sharing experiences and knowledge. In no other place have I witnessed more than one composer and one conductor working professionally hand in hand. The Mentoring Program inspired me to push my understanding of music and musicianship even further. In only one year have I seen my approach to music evolve, and working closely with Gregory Vajda and Peter Eötvös on a regular basis still inspires me in my daily work with other ensembles and orchestras.

Furthermore, I’ve particularly appreciated meeting the mentee composer of 2023, Sebastian Black, and premiering a few of his pieces.

In the same time as the mentoring year, I’ve won the orchestra prize at the first Ferenc Fricsay International Competition in Szeged (Hungary). Also, I’ve created a new orchestra in Belgium, the Etesiane Orchestra, to promote music, independenlty of its style. And I’m looking forward to premiering a new piece by Sebastian Black with the Choir Academy of the WDR Rundfunkchor and the Orchestra Academy of the WDR Sinfonieorchester in 2024.

pieces premiered with the Foundation Sebastian Black: What Does The Harp Suggest?

The mentoring concert is yet to be realized.

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Sebastian Black: Bunte Blätter

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Sebastian Black

composer, 2023

My mentoring year has been fantastic, and it has been so wonderful to meet all the people at the Peter Eötvös Foundation. It is such an extraordinary organization, and I have been thrilled to take part in the Program.

The wealth of insight – of such an extraordinarily precise and thoughtful nature – that Peter Eötvös gives has been unbelievably rewarding, and I greatly enjoyed working with Ensemble Ars Nova as well. I feel that the Foundation provides a unique stepping stone in a very professional working environment, and it is exceptional in that regard. I’ve loved watching and participating in all the rehearsals, and meeting the various composers – Magnus Lindberg, Unsuk Chin, Stefano Gervasoni and Ramon Lazkano – has been fascinating and fun.

Recently, I just completed the third edition of my music festival, Smorgaschord, based in Oxford. It was lovely in fact to return to the BMC in preparation for the festival to work with György Kurtág and his son Kurtág Jr. for a performance of their Zwiegespräch. In addition to this, as part of the festival, we focused on Ligeti in his centenary year, and featured music by Joshua Uzoigwe and premieres from Laurence Osborn, Deidre McKay, Martin Suckling and Thomas Adès. In terms of new pieces, after my three pieces as part of the mentorship program I will compose a new piece for WDR Sinfonieorchester Chor- und Orchesterakademie, which will be premiered in Cologne in May 2024. And regarding publications, I had a new article on Hans Abrahamsen’s let me tell you published in TEMPO (Cambridge University Press) in January.

pieces premiered with the Foundation Sebastian Black: What Does The Harp Suggest?

The mentoring concert is yet to be realized.

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Sebastian Black: Bunte Blätter

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mustMEET Composer Series

Foreword by Gregory Vajda “You Must Meet the composer if you have a chance.

A musical score is only the map. Even if a piece is perfectly notated there are always some questions left: there are always question marks next to characters, tempi, articulation. Sometimes we mortal musicians are not able to decipher everything we need to help a piece of music come to life.

Sometimes we are indeed in need of help from the only person who knows everything – and perhaps more – about the sounds we are supposed to make, about the feelings we are supposed to stir, about the aesthetics that are behind even the shortest rest in between notes. Meeting the creator of a work in person cannot be replaced with anything else.

Once you breathe the same air with someone, once you get to ask questions – good questions mean, that you are halfway there, you have always made it to the finish line – once you feel the vibe in the presence of a creative mind, then you are ready for the journey. You Must Meet the composer in real life if you can. The Peter Eötvös Foundation is here to make that happen.”

In 2014 Peter Eötvös Foundation celebrated its 10th anniversary and opened a new chapter in introducing contemporary music. We invite composers who are rarely represented in Hungarian repertoires and we also aim to go beyond the possibilities of a traditional portrait concert. We began with the youngest generation so the audience could soon discover which common points characterize their music. Besides they all worked with Maestro Eötvös.

Since 2015 we invite well-known composers and musicians from all over the world

Contemporary concert and public meeting series edited by Peter Eötvös

for the mustMEET Composers series. The evening is usually hosted by music historian Gergely Fazekas, and accompanied by film footage or a small live concert with professional musicians. The events are free and held in the Library of the Budapest Music Center. The mustMEET Composers series events can be enjoyed online on the foundation’s Youtube-channel.

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Our guests so far have been 2023

2017

Stefano GERVASONI (Italy)

Wolfgang RIHM (Germany)

Ramon LAZKANO (France)

Péter EÖTVÖS (Hungary)

2022

2016

Magnus LINDBERG (Finland)

Toshio HOSOKAWA (Japan)

Unsuk CHIN (South-Korea)

Krzysztof PENDERECKI (Poland) Helmut LACHENMANN (Germany)

2021

György KURTÁG (Hungary)

Georges APERGHIS (Greece)

Péter EÖTVÖS (Hungary)

Cornel TARANU (Romania) 2015 2020

Peteris VASKS (Latvia)

Fabián PANISELLO (Argentina)

Philippe MANOURY (France)

Sir George BENJAMIN (United

Matthias PINTSCHER (Germany)

Kingdom)

Jean-Philippe WURTZ (France) Ryoko AOKI (Japan)

2019

Péter EÖTVÖS (Hungary)

Hanspeter KYBURZ (Switzerland)

Péter TORNYAI (Hungary)

Kaija SAARIAHO (Finland) Heinz HOLLIGER (Switzerland)

2014

2018

Genoël VON LILIENSTERN (Germany)

Vykintas BALTAKAS (Lithuania) Catherine MILLIKEN (Australia)

Dai FUJIKURA (Japan)

Kathinka PASVEER – Stockhausen

Michel VAN DER AA (Netherlands)

Stiftung (Netherlands-Germany) Alessandro SOLBIATI (Italy)

2013

Johannes SCHÖLLHORN (Germany)

Luca FRANCESCONI (Italy)

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The history of the Foundation

Greeting by Matthias Pintscher, composer and conductor “The truly great personalities in music and the arts in general are the ones that are building institutions for the following generations to dwell in, to work for and to live in. It is not about erecting monuments for your own work but about sharing your experience and insight unconditionally.

Peter Eötvös is one of these grand figures who have invested a major part of their life in sharing their artistry with us: composers, conductors and instrumentalists of a younger generation. Peter is a real and passionate pedagogue… always curious about the questions that are bothering us or moving us forward (or holding us back!).

All my colleagues and myself are immensely grateful for Peter’s generosity of always making and finding time to see us when we have questions and need support. He is always happy to listen, and LISTENING is one of the key elements of our profession as musicians.

The Foundation is a state of the art institute for learning, sharing, researching and performing… an inspiring cultural center that allows people to meet each other and reflect upon their work and its impact of today’s society and complex environment. A unique and beautiful project.

Thank you Peter for all you are doing for us, for who you are… our knight in shining armor! I feel so blessed to have you in my life as a teacher, mentor and… friend.”

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Greeting by Fabián Panisello, composer and conductor “I met Peter Eötvös for the first time at a very special Composer-Conductor program organized in Stuttgart by The Eötvös Foundation in cooperation with Musik der Jahrhunderte. This program was special because all the participation conditions were extraordinary: Firstly, they invited the future participants for a live talk, in order to discuss their motivations: why did you, as a composer, also want to learn to be a conductor? In general, the participants were already quite developed composers with a more modest experience as conductors and from this basis, the proposed learning-by-doing process started.

Secondly, because of the multi-professor formula. The program proposed to work simultaneously with three professors, Peter Eötvös, Manfred Schreier and Zsolt Nagy.

They coached and advised us from different perspectives.

I have always greatly admired how Peter Eötvös and the Eötvös Foundation have continuously considered New Music. Invariably under an excellence criteria and how every activity organized by the Foundation has always had the mark of the highest quality throughout all parameters: professors, participants and ensembles or orchestras. I believe they highlight the immanent transcendence of Contemporary Music through this way of practice.

Since the aforementioned days, I have very often collaborated with Peter Eötvös in many different ways: consulting him on works I had to prepare as a conductor, showing him my operas, inviting him as guest conductor of PluralEnsemble and of the Reina Sofía School Orchestra and Sinfonietta, as well as being Guest Professor of the Eötvös Foundation myself, working with the mentee composers and conductors in Budapest at the Budapest Music Center.

Peter is and was a key influence in the development of so many great colleagues and in my own development. There are not enough words to thank for his extraordinary vision and generosity, intensively contributing to project the music into the future.”

Thirdly, because all this was the preparation period before we finally started with the rehearsals with the truly professional Varianti Ensemble of Stuttgart.

All the process culminated in a concert, in which each participant conducted his own work in front of a professional audience: I can remember Mr. Helmut Lachenmann, among other important musicians being there.

After this program, I also participated in a further one in Köln and I was a visitor in several other courses in Hilversum as well as other locations.

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The International Eötvös Institute Foundation was initiated and founded by

Peter Eötvös’s professional knowledge and international recognition guaranteed

renowned Hungarian musicians and artistic executives in 1991. Its original aims

the background for our planned programs. Our conception and the need for it

were to establish an institution that educates orchestral musicians, organizes post-

was proven as we were supported and sponsored by such recognized artists,

graduate education for young conductors, and promotes Hungarian culture inter-

cultural executives and political persons as Otto von Habsburg, Madame Georges

nationally – in the era when Hungary opened its borders to the western culture.

Pompidou, Catherine Tasca, Pierre Boulez, György Ligeti, Miklós Perényi or Pierre Voslinsky.

The Foundation’s headquarters and the main venue for our planned programs was supposed to be the old royal castle in Gödöllő. However, a few years later the government decided to use the castle for another purpose and therefore we weren’t given the opportunity to use it for our projects. We started to collaborate with international partners, large European orchestras, and music universities to organize master courses, tours and concerts for young artists. In this series of programs between 1991 and 2003, we aimed to introduce the 20-21st century’s contemporary music and its interpretation to young artists who finished their studies in higher education. In order to achieve this, our program principally consisted of pieces from composers of the 20-21st century like Stockhausen, Boulez, Webern, Berio, Ligeti and Kurtág, whose compositions weren’t a part of the official curricula back then.

In the middle of the 90s a new change started to evolve within the concert industry. The big orchestras opened up to contemporary music and started to include pieces from the 20th century in their repertoire, and more and more young com-

Peter Eötvös established a new foundation in 2004 under the name of Eötvös

posers got the chance to introduce themselves. Peter Eötvös wished to hand over

Peter Contemporary Music Foundation, which has been broadening the field of

his knowledge within this field to the younger generation. Our programs were

activity of the previous Foundation (est. in 1991). Besides helping conductors and

based on skills such as rehearsal structure planning, new composing and conduct-

musicians we undertook the support and promotion of young composers, musi-

ing techniques, instrumental and acoustical teachings, budget planning, manage-

cologists, dramaturgs and the organization of joint workshops for them. We assist

ment and publisher education. To be able to teach all these we occasionally

and support their career into the music industry through organizing workshops,

invited well-known artists and executives in these fields to give lectures.

courses, competitions, concerts and projects.

By the beginning of the 21st century contemporary music and its playing became

Our goal is not only to give professional training and support for artists but to pro-

much more natural and regular, new young orchestras were founded, and a new

mote information on contemporary music internationally, to establish Eastern-

market which employed young conductors and composers evolved. The possibil-

Western connections and to broaden the audience for contemporary music. Partic-

ity for integrating the young generation has never been easier, and the demand

ularly, we would like to grasp the attention of the young generation – students within

for young composers and conductors has never been higher.

higher education – whom we’re trying to make our base of audience. In order to

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achieve this we’re announcing a series of interactive programs in which we’re inviting well-known musicians for an evening lecture and also connecting it with other representatives from different fields of art such as writers, painters, architects, film-makers, etc.

We believe that it’s important for the audience to get to know “its own generation” within the music, as well as in architecture, applied and fine arts, which is already in progress thanks to the technological inventions nowadays. We would like to increase the acceptance of contemporary music and also to establish a community-forming aspect to it. Music is a form of communication and information; its content and technique is placed in the present just like everything else in our lives.

It is high time to eliminate the word “contemporary” from the expression “contemporary music” – it should be music and quality in the first place.

In 2013 the foundation has moved to the new Budapest Music Center which serves as the home base of the foundation ever since. The cooperation with Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne began in 2015 and was extended towards a 3+3-year Mentoring Program in 2018 until 2023.

Since 2018 Gregory Vajda has been the program director of the foundation.

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Our supporters

Private sponsors:

With support and generous donations from musicians, music lovers, and cultural institutes throughout the world we hope to be able to fulfill our goal of assisting the careers of your conductors and composers, and to promote contemporary music.

Peter Eötvös Péter Timár Dániel Timár László Tihanyi Balázs Horváth Gregory Vajda

Our home and main supporter is the Budapest Music Center.

László Vidovszky Christian Schumann Ramon Lazkano

The Mentoring Program could not have been

Helmut Lachenmann

realized without the tremendous support of

Unsuk Chin

Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne, Switzerland.

Our main partners have been so far: Since establishing the Peter Eötvös Contemporary Music Foundation in 2004, the following sponsors

Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra

were supporting us to realize our programs:

Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra Danubia Orchestra (permanent orchestra partner of the Foundation)

Siemens Foundation, Germany

Savaria Orchestra

NRW Kunststiftung

Győr Philharmonic Orchestra

National Civil Fund, Hungary

Concerto Budapest

National Cultural Fund of Hungary (NKA)

UMZE Ensemble

Goethe Institut-Budapest

Ars Nova Ensemble

Institut Francais Budapest

WDR Chorakademie

FinnAgora

SZFE

Japan Foundation

CAFé Budapest

Instituto Cervantes

Collegium Hungaricum Berlin

Cultural Forum Austria

UDK Berlin

Collegium Hungaricum Berlin Korean Cultural Center

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Photos: Márton Botond Andrea Felvégi Bálint Hrotkó Stéfanie Molter Gábor Valuska

www.eotvosmusicfoundation.org facebook.com/petereotvosfoundation