International Rostrum of Composers
The International Rostrum of Composers is an annual forum organized by the International Music Council that offers broadcasting representatives the opportunity to exchange and publicize pieces of contemporary classical music. It is funded by contributions from participating national radio networks.
The first Rostrum took place in 1954 and involved delegates from the German, French, Belgian and Swiss national broadcasting companies. From then until 2002 the Rostrum's sessions were held at UNESCO's headquarters in Paris, with the exception of 2000 when they were hosted by Muziek Groep Nederland and the Gaudeamus Foundation in Amsterdam. Since 2003, a rotation system has been in place, where the Rostrum is hosted every other year by Radio France and in the intervening year visits a European venue. Starting from 2010 the Rostrum is travelling around Europe by invitation of National Radio Broadcasters. Rostrum in 2020 was postponed until 2021.
Over thirty national radio networks now send delegates, presenting in total sixty or so works each year that have been composed no more than five years previously. Following sessions of listening and discussion, the delegates highlight one of the works submitted and recommend a number of the others. They also highlight one or two works by composers under the age of thirty and recommend one or two others. These selected and recommended works are those most likely to be broadcast or played in concerts sponsored by the participating networks or others that follow the Rostrum's deliberations. All works presented are offered by the European Broadcasting Union to its members via satellite. Copies of recordings, scores and notes featured during the forum are kept at the Gaudeamus Foundation.
From 1991 until 2003 the composer of each year’s selected work was awarded the UNESCO Mozart Medal. Since 2004 the composer of each year’s selected work is awarded the UNESCO Picasso-Miró Medal and the composer or composers under the age of thirty whose work or works are selected are awarded the Guy Huot Bursary for young composers.
Since 2015, the International Rostrum of Composers is part of a large project called Rostrum+ a cooperation project co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union which aims to rethink the ways in which contemporary music connects with audiences through radio network by exploring new strategies to develop audiences, promote new music, enhance the skills of radio professionals and inspire cooperation between musicians, higher music education institutions and broadcasting companies throughout Europe and beyond.
The selected composer in the General Category of each edition receive a joint commission Radio France / IMC for an Alla Breve composition that are performed by musicians of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, recorded and broadcast by Radio France in a special program called Alla Breve.
Swedish Radio and IMC jointly commission a work to the composer selected in the “Under 30” category. The composer is invited to Sweden for an introductory 2-day workshop with a local ensemble and then write a work for them which is broadcast live by the Swedish Radio.
List of winners
The International Rostrum of Composers has two main categories:the general category- the category of composers under 30 years of age.
2025
– Held in Ljubljana, SloveniaGundega Šmite : The White Birds for string trio
- Darja Kukal Moiseeva : Calmness II for clarinet and vibraphone
- Held in Vilnius, LithuaniaRafał Ryterski : Totentanz for countertenor, orchestra and electronics
- Thomas van Dun : Rocailles de l'après-vie… for large ensemble
- Held in The Hague, NetherlandsLisa Streich : Jubelhemd for trumpet, percussion, harp, viola and orchestra Othman Louati : Nuits for chamber ensemble
- Matic Romih : The Card Players for string orchestra
- Held in Palermo, ItalyKristine Tjøgersen : Between trees for orchestra
- Monika Szpyrka : Part among Parts for solo accordion and orchestra
– Held in Belgrade, SerbiaIvana Ognjanović : Lonesome Skyscraper for orchestra and electronics
- Krists Auznieks : Are one for voice, chamber orchestra and electronics
– Held in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina.Petra Strahovnik : Prana for orchestra
- : When for choir and cello
– Held in Budapest, Hungary.Páll Ragnar Pálsson : Quake for cello and orchestra
- Jan-Peter de Graaff : Le café de nuit for orchestra
– Held in Palermo, Italy.' : Brut for cello and ensemble
- Sebastian Hilli : Reachings for orchestra
– Held in Wroclaw, Poland.Oscar Bianchi : Partendo for countertenor and ensemble
- : Langedes ülespoole, taeva kaarjasse kaussi for orchestra
– Held in Tallinn, Estonia.Jan Erik Mikalsen : Songr for Orchestra
- Matej Bonin : Cancro for symphony orchestra
– Held in Helsinki, Finland.Yannis Kyriakides : Words and Song without Words, for cello and electronics
- Andrzej Kwieciński : Canzon de' Baci, tenor and orchestra
– Held in Prague, Czech republic.Agata Zubel : Not I, for voice, chamber ensemble and electronics
- Úlfur Hansson : So very strange, electroacoustic work
– Held in Stockholm, Sweden.Pedro Ochoa : Tierra Viva, for piano and tape
- Peter Kerkelov : Attempt at Screaming, ensemble
– Held in Vienna, Austria.Francesco Filidei : Macchina per scoppiare Pagliacci, for double orchestra
- Juan Pablo Nicoletti : Abismo al Abismo, electroacoustic work
– Held in Lisboa, Portugal.Simon Steen-Andersen : Ouvertures , for guzheng, sampler and orchestra
- Kristaps Pētersons : Twilight Chants, for mixed choir, double bass and glasses
– Held in Paris, France.Martijn Padding : First Harmonium Concerto, for harmonium and orchestra
- : Aquarelle, for mixed choir
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- Ülo Krigul : Jenzeits, for orchestra
- Ēriks Ešenvalds : Légende de la femme emmurée, for mixed choir
- Luke Bedford : Rode with darkness, for large orchestra
- Santa Ratniece : Sens nacre, for ensemble
- Abigail Richardson-Schulte : Dissolve, for harp, piano, percussion
- Johannes Maria Staud : Polygon for piano and orchestra
- Daniel Vacs : Viento negro, for violin
- Brian Current : For the time being, for orchestra
- Jüri Reinvere : Loodekaar, for chamber ensemble
- Maja Ratkje : Waves II B, for chamber orchestra
- : Seven miniatures, for orchestra
- : Abglanz und Schweigen, for chamber ensemble
- Mari Vihmand : Floreo, for orchestra
- Paweł Mykietyn : 3 for 13, for chamber orchestra
- Thomas Adès : Living Toys, for chamber orchestra
- Gisle Kverndokk : Initiation, for violin and orchestra
- Jesper Koch : Icebreaking, for two accordion and percussion
- Chris Harman : Iridescence, for 24 strings
- Benoît Mernier : Artifices, for organ
- Jukka Koskinen : String Quartet,
- Srđan Dedić : Snake Charmer, for bass clarinet
- Kimmo Hakola : String Quartet,
- Luc Brewaeys : E poi c 'era, for orchestra
- George Benjamin : At first light, oboe and orchestra
- Alessandro Solbiati : Di Luce, for violin and orchestra
- Detlev Müller-Siemens : Passacaglia, for orchestra
- Magnus Lindberg : ... de Tartuffe, je crois, for piano quintet
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- Akira Nishimura : Ketiak, for 6 percussion
1978Manfred Trojahn : String Quartet
1977Louis Andriessen : De Staat, for 4 female vocal soloists and 27 instruments
1976Tomás Marco : Autodafé, for piano, organ, three instrumental groups, and violins in echo Dimitar Tapkov : Cantate pour la paix, for soprano, choir and orchestra
1975Zsolt Durkó : Burial prayer, oratorios for tenor, baritone, choir and orchestra
1974' : L 'Allegri, soprano and orchestra,
1973Henryk Górecki : Ad Matrem, for soprano, choir and orchestra
1972Sándor Balassa : Requiem for Lajos reserve, for choir and orchestra
1971George Crumb : Ancient Voices of Children, soprano and octet
1970András Szőllősy : Concerto No. 3, for sixteen strings
- Steven Gellman : Mythos II, for flute and string quartet
1968Jan Kapr : Exercises pour Gydli, for soprano, flute and harp Witold Lutosławski : Symphony No. 2, for orchestra John Tavener : The Whale, dramatic cantata
1967Franco Donatoni : Puppenspiel No, for flute and orchestra Luboš Fišer : Fifteen Prints after Dürer’s Apocalypse, for orchestra
1966Tadeusz Baird : Four Dialogues, for oboe and chamber orchestra
1965
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1963Tadeusz Baird : Variations without a theme, for orchestra
1962Niccolò Castiglioni : Through the Looking Glass, a radio operaAkira Miyoshi : String Quartet No. 1 Luigi Nono : España en el corazon, for soprano, baritone, choir and instruments,
1961Elliott Carter : String Quartet No. 2,
1960Humphrey Searle : Diary of a Madman, opera
1959Tadeusz Baird : Four Essays, for orchestra Witold Lutosławski : Funeral Music, for string orchestra
1958Niccolò Castiglioni : Symphony No. 1, for soprano and orchestra Benjamin Lees : String Quartet No.1 Constantin Regamey : Cinq Etudes, for female voice and orchestra
1957Ingvar Lidholm : Ritournelle, orchestra
1956Frank Martin : Cembalo Concerto, for harpsichord and orchestra Hans Werner Henze : Symphony No. 3
1955Luciano Berio Chamber Music, for voice, clarinet, cello, harp Henri Dutilleux : Symphony No. 1, for orchestra