In November 1945, having survived the war, Walter Maas had a spontaneous flash of inspiration which sowed the seeds of the Gaudeamus Foundation. Since then, fundamental to the musical progress of the Netherlands has been Gaudeamus’ unwavering encouragement of national and international composers, sound innovators and interpreters: explore, experiment, be critical, discover and keep going. Attempts that are considered ‘failed’ are just as important as successful ones.
The audience has already tasted many fruits of this constant presence of Gaudeamus behind the scenes. And how does musical progress sound in 2020? What was once ‘daring’ no longer surprises us. Are we going backwards? No. With boundless drive and under the care of Gaudeamus, composers will continue to emerge to bring the unheard-of to unpredictable life. On this anniversary page, the 75-year-old offers a glimpse into its turbulent past, the unexpected present and the unknown future.
This page will be updated in the coming weeks with more content about the history of Gaudeamus. Stay tuned !