Winner 1st Pianoduo Festival Composition Competition announced!
Composer Niels van der Weiden (1990, photo) was unanimously declared winner of the 1st Pianoduo Festival Composition Competition last month.
The competition took place in the first half of 2022. Young composers up to the age of 35 could submit a composition sketch for a new work for piano four hands or two pianos. In early August, the jury, consisting of composer Peter-Jan Wagemans, pianist and contemporary music specialist Geoffrey Madge, Gaudeamus programmer Jonás Bisquert and Piano Duo Scholtes & Janssens, met. The jury was surprised by the many entries and the high level.
Van der Weiden's composition sketch "Ballade Polyamoureuse" impressed the jury for its "musicality, challenging nature and interesting harmonic developments". Niels receives a cash prize of 1,500 euros and may also develop his sketch into a full 7-minute composition. This will be premiered at the upcoming festival. Composer Thomas van Dun (1995) won an honourable mention with his composition sketch 'Awakenings'.