Nick Van Elsen - Composer in Residence
Festival Brass Band wants to give young, talented musicians the opportunity to develop themselves. Therefore we have decided to appoint a Composer in Residence from 2019 onwards. This cross-pollination benefits both the band and the composer. The band can bring out new repertoire and the composer has the opportunity to work intensively with the musicians and conductor to achieve a fantastic end result.
Nick Van Elsen joined the band on flugelhorn in the last weeks of 2018. Besides playing this instrument, Nick is also a talented composer. You can read a short explanation here, for more information about the composer and his work we would like to refer you to his website.
Nick Van Elsen took lessons at the North Limburg Art Academy from Kristien Schuurmans (flugelhorn) and Peter Testelmans (music theory). He took his first steps in the world of HaFaBra at the Koninklijke Fanfare Kempenbloei. In 2014 he moved to the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp to start composition studies with Wim Henderickx and Luc Van Hove.
In 2019, he obtained his Master of Arts - Composition degree with distinction at the Antwerp Conservatory. A year earlier, he had the honour to participate as 1 of 16 selected composers in the Young Composers Meeting in Apeldoorn (NL), an annual meeting of composers from all corners of the world, supported by Gaudeamus and orchestra De Ereprijs. Here he followed masterclasses with, among others, Richard Ayres and Martijn Padding. He has also worked with the HERMESensemble, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, Musica, Kunstacademie Noord-Limburg, dance group Imago Tijl and VLAMO. As an engraver, he has been working with Hal Leonard publishers since 2017.
After his artistic training, he obtained the Master of Science - Cultural Management at the University of Antwerp in 2021. Today, he is Advisor Culture and Development Cooperation at the Office of the Alderman for Culture in the City of Antwerp.
Canto - Solo for Eb tuba and Brass Band - Bernd Van Echelpoel (Eb tuba)