ISCM World New Music Days 2024
Reflections on the ISCM World New Music Days Festival
Faroe Islands, June 2024
Delayed in Amsterdam, I arrived at the ISCM World New Music Days a little later than planned, but the moment I joined on Sunday, 23rd June, the festival welcomed me with open arms, with my first experience being a scenic walk followed by an open-air concert, a perfect introduction that set the tone for what would become a truly memorable few days…
Though my time at the festival was short – just from 23rd to 27th June, it was packed with powerful performances, genuine connections and a strong sense of international community.
The first evening’s concert left a lasting impression. Dedicated to poetry and music in small languages, it featured Chapel with Splendid Glass Windows by Amble Skuse – one of the two works submitted by the Scottish Music Centre. The piece was haunting and moving, captivating the audience and representing the festival spirit of identity, storytelling, and deep emotional resonance.
Another moment of pride was experiencing Cardboard by Scottish composer Tom Irvine, performed in the stunning Nordic House. It was especially meaningful to see both Amble and Tom so involved in their performances – Amble behind the sound desk and Tom singing alongside Laura Zoschg, which gave their works an added layer of intimacy and ownership.
Throughout the festival, I got to experience many more compositions, each offering a unique glimpse into the contemporary music scenes of their respective countries. Standout works included Piano Concerto by Victoria Frances Young (USA), Carpathian Timbre by Haimoni Balgava (Slovakia), or Holminum and Chorals and Dances (world premiere) by Faroe Islands composers Kristian Blak and Sunleif Rasmussen, and korenveld met kraaien by Janco Verduin (Netherlands).
One of the most magical concerts took place in the village of Gjógv, where music, nature, and folklore collided. As puffins soared overhead and our bus driver expertly navigated the winding mountain roads (to well-deserved applause), we were treated to a day of unforgettable performances. Composer Kristian Blak acted as our guide, sharing the Faroese tale of a Giant and an Old Hag dragging the islands from near Africa to their current home – and with the dramatic landscape as backdrop, it felt entirely believable!
We heard brass music echoing off cliffs in Gjógv’s natural harbour and later gathered in the beautiful old church in Funningur, where Kári Sverrisson performed traditional Faroese vocal music (kingosálmar and skjaldur) with the day culminating in a communal Faroese Chain Dance – something I’d always dreamed of taking part in. We sang just a few verses, but I learned these songs can go on for hundreds – chanted during long, dark winters when the sheep work is done.
Beyond the concerts, the General Assembly meetings were energising and hopeful, with discussions revolving aound ways to expand ISCM’s reach and deepen its impact. It was refreshing to be part of forward-looking conversations with people genuinely invested in the future of new music. I left the meetings feeling optimistic – that with continued collaboration, ISCM can grow stronger and more accessible globally.
Every evening concert was more than a performance; it was an opportunity to reconnect with colleagues, discover new voices, and engage in meaningful exchanges. The friendships and ideas forged during these few days left a lasting impression.
Though I was sorry to leave before the end of the festival, I carry its energy with me. The ISCM community feels more connected than ever, and I’m excited to see how this momentum translates into new projects and partnerships.
The Scottish Music Centre and New Music Scotland are excited to announce Scotland's representation at the ISCM World Music Days 2024 in the Faroe Islands.
The ISCM World Music Days 2024 will take place in the Faroe Islands 22 - 30 June 2024. We are excited to share that the International Jury selected two works submitted by ISCM Scottish Section: ‘Cardboard’ by Tom Irvine and "‘Chapels with Splendid Glass Windows’ by Amble Skuse. These compositions are part of our official submission for consideration by the International Jury.
In addition to the shortlisted pieces, we are delighted to share that two of our members, Ruta Vitkauskaite and James Robertson, will have their compositions featured. Ruta submitted her work to the British Section, while James made an individual submission.
For the upcoming festival, we received 34 submissions from Scottish and Scotland-based composers across 14 categories. Watch this space for future calls for work.
Works Selected For Performance
Amble Skuse
Amble is a composer and sound artist who uses body sensor technology, spoken word interviews and electronics to create her sound works. She is interested in the interface between the body and the exterior world, and has explored this through numerous sound walks using her wheelchair.
Amble’s work Divergent Sounds uses interviews with NeuroDivergent people, electronics, body sensors and a 13 piece orchestral ensemble. It was premiered at the Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank. She was an International Creative Entrepreneurship Fellow, a BBC Performing Arts Fellow, a Mimu Glove research resident, and won a Special Commendation Daphne Oram Award.
Submitted work: Chapels with Splendid Glass Windows
Tom Irvine
Tom Irvine is a Scottish composer, songwriter, and performer working across multiple genres and disciplines. Based in Copenhagen, and recently graduated from a masters in rhythmic composition at Det Jyske Musikkonservatorium, his work explores the boundaries between classical and non-classical music.
Recent projects include string quartet arrangements for the award-winning kora-player DawdaJobarteh, a new piece premiered by DJMs Symfoniorkester, and ongoing work with his new ‘chamber-pop sinfonietta’ The Open-Source Orchestra alongside his long-running band Urvanovic, who will release their second studio album in 2024.
Submitted work: Cardboard
ISCM 2024 Shortlisted Compositions
Pete Stollery
Pete Stollery studied composition with Jonty Harrison at the University of Birmingham, where he was one of the first members of BEAST in the early ’80s. He composes music for concert hall performance, particularly acousmatic music and more recently has created work for outside the concert hall, including sound installations and internet projects.
He has collaborated with practitioners from other artistic disciplines, particularly dance and sculpture and has produced music and sound design for a number of UK visitor attractions including Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, UK, Magna in Rotherham, UK and St Patrick’s World in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland.
Until 2022, he was Professor of Composition and Electroacoustic Music at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, delivering courses on the creative applications of technology in music and music education to students, schoolchildren and the general public.
In 1996, along with Alistair MacDonald, Robert Dow and Simon Atkinson, he established the group invisiblEARts whose aim is to perform acousmatic music throughout Scotland and to promote Scottish acousmatic music to a wider audience, both within Scotland and abroad. He is also Chair of the sound festival, Scotland’s annual new music festival.
Submitted work: Gruyeres Bells
Simon Hellewell
Born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, experimental composer Simon Hellewell takes a keen interest in visual aesthetics in his musical scores. He creates flexible pieces which invite the performer to explore the available material through unusual and very open structures. His recent work shows a wide range of interests, from visual art and concrete poetry through mountaineering and the Scottish scenery, to fantasy roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons.
Following a short pause while completing his PhD at the University of Manchester, Simon’s practice has also extended into collaboration and improvisation through his experimental ambient duo ‘Dronehopper’.
Submitted work: Circadian
Alex Smoke
I am a musician and composer, operating in various fields of sound including electronic production, sound installation and instrumental composition. While previously I toured globally as an electronic artist, I now largely focus on composition and installation work under both my natural and professional names.
My main interest is in creating works of immersion that elicit a response in the consciousness of the listener, using traditional ideas alongside modern technique.
I have worked with Scottish Ballet, The Scottish Ensemble and NHS Lothian, amongst others, and am an associate artist with Cryptic.
Submitted work: Creation
Lisa Robertson
Lisa Robertson is a composer from the West Highlands of Scotland, particularly interested in relationships between people and the environment.
Recently featured in BBC Music Magazine’s ‘Rising Stars’ column, her music has been performed by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, the RSNO, Red Note Ensemble, Psappha, EXAUDI, Lucy Schaufer and Heather Roche, among others, at festivals including Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Cheltenham Music Festival, Sound Festival, and on BBC Radio 3.
Four times shortlisted for the Scottish Awards for New Music, she was selected for NYCGB’s Young Composers Scheme and the RSNO Composers' Hub and gained a PhD from the RCS.
Submitted work: the light through forest leaves
