CANTUS ENSEMBLE & RE:NEW MUSIC

RE:NEW MUSIC (http://www.renewmusic.org/) is a cultural project based on 12 international partners and 22 ensembles from 11 European countries, creating a platform for over 170 performances per year as well as numerous composer workshops and residences. This project, financed by EU funds, aims to build a network of composers, ensembles, information centers, cultural institutions, music education institutions, professional composers associations, musicologists and performers in order to bring contemporary music production closer to the general public and to enable contemporary composers to become known outside the narrow cultural circles of their countries.
Cantus Ensemble and the Croatian Composers' Society have recommended eight compositions by living Croatian composers to enter the competition; in return, Cantus Ensemble will collaborate with four guest composers by the end of October 2010.

The first two among them are the Belgian composer Luc Brewaeys (http://www.lucbrewaeys.com/) and the Polish composer Lidia Zielińska (www.usc.edu/dept/polish_music/composer/zielinska.html) who were Cantus Ensemble's guests in the autumn of 2009.
The two composers held workshops and lectures, while Cantus Ensemble performed their compositions at public rehearsals and at several concerts. Luc Brewaeys and Lidia Zielińska presented their solo, chamber and orchestra compositions, including audio examples and scores, and spoke about their experiences as composers and the current situation regarding New Music in their countries.  

Cantus Ensemble performed Cardhu by Luc Brewaeys on 24 September 2009 at the Samobor Music Festival (Franciscan Church, Samobor, 8pm), while Lidia Zielińska's Siedem wysp Conrada, for chamber ensemble and tape, was performed at the first concert in the 2009-2010 Cantus Ensemble & Lisinski Concert Cycle.

On 10 May 2010 Cantus Ensemble will once again perform Zielińska's composition at the Sounds New Festival of Contemporary Music (Canterbury, Great Britain, http://www.soundsnew.org.uk/).