
Composer, musician and curator Bart de Vrees opened the Gaudeamus Festival on September 10th 2025 with his speech ‘The State of Dutch New Music’. In his speech, he addressed the challenge of reclaiming free space as a composer and creator, both personally and artistically. Bart was trained as a percussionist, but over time he increasingly focused on electronics, and in particular on what he calls ‘doodling’. During this hour, you’ll hear some of the ‘desert island discs’ he has chosen.
(image: Béla Bartók)
What music should everyone hear at least once in their life, according to music makers, composers and musicians in our country?
In this programme, you’ll hear music selected by creators, composers and musicians in the Netherlands – their ‘desert island discs’: pieces they would love to share with the world, and that play an important role in their work and lives. You can listen to the complete conversation on the podcast Muziekmakers der Nederlanden.
Playlist
- CD Bartók String Quartets
Béla Bartók – String Quartet No. 4
Ragazze Quartet
23’38″ - CD De Natura Sonorum
Bernard Parmegiani – De Natura Sonorum, série 1 (fragment)
Bernard Parmegiani
14’26” - CD Schoenberg Verklärte Nacht, 5 Orchestral Pieces & Piano Works
Arnold Schoenberg – Fünf Orchesterstücke (fragment)
Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Daniel Barenboim
17’47”