" Réseau Varèse encourages exchanges and the circulation of contemporary music projects between countries and venues."

The pan-European network Réseau Varèse has been selected as one of nine multi-annual cooperation projects to be subsidised between 2009 and 2014 as part of the European Commission's Culture Programme supporting musical creation and dissemination.

Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival has been a Réseau Varèse member since 2000. Bringing together 21 members from 16 European countries, the network encourages exchanges and the circulation of contemporary music projects between countries and venues. The other UK member is the Southbank Centre, London.

In 2008, HCMF joined other Réseau Varèse members in hosting a range of events celebrating and paying tribute to the late composer Karlheinz Stockhausen. In addition, an HCMF 2008 world premiere will this year travel to other Réseau Varèse locations. Members interested in presenting John Butcher's Composition for eight musicians, in which eight seasoned improvisers are encouraged to leave their collaborative comfort zones, include the Gaida Festival, Vilnius; the Arena Festival, Riga; Wien Modern in Vienna and Berlin's Maerzmusik.

Since 2000, Réseau Varèse has benefited from funding from three successive European Commission Culture Programmes. Forty-two projects have been supported between 2000 and 2009. Sixteen of these have been musical shows, including opera, musical theatre and choreographic works; the other 26 were concert programmes including recitals, chamber music, symphonic and choral productions. These 42 projects led to 169 events, with over 360 public showings in Europe. 53 composers of 20 different nationalities benefited from support from Réseau Varèse during this period, and 42 new works were premiered within this framework.

The budget for Réseau Varèse's actions from 2009-2014 has been set at €5,474,850, of which €2.5 million will be funded by the European Commission's Culture Programme.

Past Réseau Varèse projects at HCMF:

2008
Homage to Stockhausen:
Nicolas Hodges: 3. Stunde aus Klang: Naturliche Dauern
Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart: STIMMUNG
New London Chamber Choir: Chore fur Doris / Litanei 97

2006
Pan Sonic / Atli Ingolfsson / Yan Maresz / Giovanni Verrando / Riccardo Nova: Microwaves

2005
Helmut Lachenmann: Portrait
Olga Neuwirth / Roberto Paci Dalo: Italia Anno Zero

2004
Fausto Romitelli: An Index of Metals
Hanspeter Kyburz / Quatuor Diotima: Streichquartett
The Contemporary Hardanger Fiddle

2003
Sir Harrison Birtwistle / London Sinfonietta: Theseus Game
Georges Aperghis / Willy Dorner: Ob:scena
Mauricio Kagel / Christian Kesten: Mare Nostrum
Jonathan Harvey / Quatuor Arditti: String Quartet #4 with computer music

2002
Martin Matalon: Le Scorpion
Ensemble Recherche / Neue Berliner Kammerorchester: Unknown Feldman
Evan Parker: Memory-Vision / Staring onto the Time of the Future

2001
Salvatore Sciarrino / Ingrid von Wantoch Rekowski: Lohengrin
Heiner Goebbels: Hashirigaki
Kaija Saariaho: From The Grammar Of Dreams

2000
Ensemble Modern: Tribute to Wolfgang Rihm

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