A Portrait of Six Conductors

Flute Oboe Clarinet in Bb I Clarinet in Bb II Bassoon I Alto Saxophone Trumpet in C Trombone Harp Piano Vibraphone Violin I Violin II Viola Violoncello Contrabass

7:50

International Conducting Competition Rotterdam

Premiered by the candidates competing in the second edition of the International Conducting Competition Rotterdam and Klangforum Wien on 4 June 2025, Juriaanse Zaal, De Doelen, Rotterdam.

Trouw: In Rotterdam they are these days on the lookout for a conducting talent in the mould of Mäkelä

Those three pieces were divided among the finalists, but all six conducted the new piece *A Portrait of Six Conductors*, which Mathilde Wantenaar wrote especially for this competition.

Wantenaar wrote six motifs based on the names of the finalists, and a dice roll determines which motif is played first, and thus the order of the piece. The idea of maximum variation was somewhat lost because five of the six conductors rolled a two. But Wantenaar has once again written a wonderfully melodic and rhythmic piece.

Peter van der Lint, Trouw, 6 June 2025