Growing global enthusiasm for the IGNM

The ISCM World Music Days 2016 (WMD) at the Tongyeong International Music Festival in Tongyeong, South Korea, are history. From March 27 to April 1, 11 concerts and 2 installations took place in front of packed crowds. A total of 72 symphonic, choral and chamber music works with and without electronics as well as works for a young audience were performed, without exception with excellent interpretations.

Swiss plants at the WMD
The works by the two Swiss composers Claude Berset (La Ménagerie de Tristana semi-staged chamber suite for children based on poems by the surrealist Robert Desnos) and by Iris Szeghy (Gratia gratiam parit for choir a cappella), which were submitted by the Swiss and Slovakian ISCM sections respectively and selected by the WMD festival jury.

ISCM Board confirmed
At the General Assembly of the ISCM (International Society for Contemporary Music, IGNM), which took place at the same time, the Belgian Peter Swinnen was confirmed as ISCM President for a further term of office together with the rest of the Board. New Zealander Glenda Kean will replace the retiring Vice President Henk Heuvelmans (ISCM Holland, Gaudeamus). Frank J. Oteri (New Music USA) was newly elected to the ISCM Board.

ISCM Young Composers Award
The 12th ISCM Young Composers Award 2016 went to the South Korean Yejune Synn for the work Zoetrope. The winner will receive a cash prize donated by Music on Main Canada as well as a composition commission for the upcoming World Music Days 2017 in Vancouver, Canada.

Trends
For the first time in the history of the ISCM, a black member, S'fisokuhle Xulu from South Africa, attended the ISCM General Assembly and announced his intention to invite the ISCM World Music Days to Africa on its 100th anniversary in 2022 - Austria and Germany, the ISCM founding countries, have so far been cautious as potential hosts for the centenary celebrations. Europe's lack of interest in and growing global enthusiasm for the ISCM can of course be seen in the future WMD venues: 2016 Korea, 2017 Canada, 2018 China (Beijing), 2019 New Zealand, 2020 Estonia, 2021 China (Nanning), 2022 South Africa.

The ISCM in Switzerland
The ISCM is the oldest international umbrella organization for the promotion of New Music. It is considered one of the most important music-cultural societies in the world and has its address at Unesco in Paris. It was founded in Salzburg in 1922. The Swiss ISCM section was founded in October 1922 as one of the first national sections by the Winterthur patron Werner Reinhart, who was also the first ISCM Secretary General and co-founder of the ISCM. Its current president is Javier Hagen. The World Music Days have been held six times in Switzerland to date: 1926 (Zurich), 1929 (Geneva), 1957 (Zurich), 1970 (Basel), 1991 (Zurich), 2004 (all of Switzerland).