NOT EXACTLY EVERYONE’S CUP OF TEA
Initially, Gaudeamus’ profile is not yet clearly defined. This changes when Maas meets the striking pianist/composer Henk Stam. Under his influence, Maas resolutely chooses to bring young composers and their new music into the limelight. The first innovations in the music world come mainly from Germany, where Maas builds up an international network together with Stam, among others. Young composers like to experiment with other forms of music. But Dutch musicians – accustomed to traditional works for string ensembles, piano, wind instruments and orchestras – still often shy away from such experimentation. Are these strange notes and instructions playable? Will the instruments remain intact during the performance?
It is therefore difficult to find good musicians for these groundbreaking works. Primarily, members of the radio orchestras are willing to play this music, which is not yet very popular. This enables Gaudeamus to found a house ensemble of its own – the Gaudeamus Quartet. It performs widely and later, in 1968, also becomes the first quartet capable of tackling the very complex music of composer Brian Ferneyhough.
INTERNATIONAL GARDEN SHED
From the 1960s onwards, thanks to composers and publishers worldwide, Gaudeamus amasses a wide variety of study material. Scores, books, magazines and sound recordings from all over the world find their way to the increasingly distinctive music foundation in Bilthoven. There, in a shed in the garden, the music library cabinets fill up more every year. The collection is unique in the world. International music students and young professionals consider the library a rich source of inspiration for their studies and development. In the adjacent building, the CEM studio has now been set up, one of the first electronic music studios in the Netherlands.