ISCM World New Music Magazine, 2011, nr. 21

Personal taste did not play a big role Luc Brewaeys Luc Brewaeys, a distinguished Belgian composer and professor of composition at the University of Rotterdam, whose works are performed at festivals of contemporary music and in concert halls, commented on the four-day consultation of the 2011 ISCM WNMD jury (Zagreb, October 2011), as follows: ‘It was very strenuous because we had to review around 420 scores in just four days and listen to countless electronic compositions (out of which we have, unfortunately, come across only three good ones).

We are very tired, but this was also a good experience, as we have discovered a lot as well. We had to Luc Brewaeys be neutral in our selections, study in detail the manner in which a particular composition was created, and evaluate its technical quality, which is just as important as the artistic. Needless to say that our affinities, the affinities of the members of the panel, differ quite a lot, but we almost always agreed on the selection. I believe that our personal taste, fortunately, did not play a big role in doing so. In any case, according to the ISCM's Statute we had to choose compositions of different styles, which we have tried to do and which, I believe, we have succeeded in doing: there is a wide range of diversified works, all of which have a certain degree of quality.

Personally, I am a big fan of orchestral music, so I found the greatest pleasure in selecting the compositions for orchestra. This was the category with the greatest number of candidates, but due to the conditions of this Festival, we could only choose six works. I am especially glad that we have all agreed right away on the score by one female composer whose composition completely thrilled us. It is like rock music, a very powerful and vivacious composition.’ 20 ISCM : WORLDNEWMUSIC MAGAZINE