The MA Festival Brugge, short for the festival Musica Antiqua Bruges in Bruges, Belgium, is a festival of early music and historically informed performances, started in 1960. The program includes concerts, master classes, conferences, visits in the region, exhibitions, instrument market, and international competitions that concentrates in a three-year cycle on organ, harpsichord, pianoforte and other period instruments, vocals, and baroque ensembles. The specialised festival is part of the Festival of Flanders.
History
The city of Bruges joined the Flanders Festival in 1960. In the early years, the emphasis was mainly on the biennial exhibitions of Flemish Primitives in European possession. Gradually, the idea grew, given the evolution of the Flanders Festival in almost exclusively a musical direction, to organize a musical part in Bruges as well. To achieve this, a non-profit organization was founded in 1962. Mayor Pierre Venamme and two aldermen were among the founders on behalf of the city, together with persons who mainly belonged to the music sector (Kamiel D'Hooghe, Jan Briers, Robrecht Dewitte, Herman Sabbe, Canon Paul François, Raymond Van Wassenhove). In 1963, 'Organ Days' were organized. The first official festival took place in 1964.
From that year and until 2004, the festival was led by co-founder and driving force Robrecht Dewitte.
The organizer called on specialists who, with their knowledge of the evolution in music performance, were of good advice. Among them are: Gustav Leonhardt, Kamiel D'Hooghe, prof. Marcel Boereboom, prof. Jozef Robijns, Pieter Enriessen and Johan Huys.
The management tasks were taken over after 2004 as follows:
• 2004-2005: Bart Demuyt;
• 2005-2007: Stefan Dewitte;
• 2007-2009: Tomas Bisschop and Hendrik Storme;
• 2009-2019: Tomas Bisschop;
The current directors are Tomas Bisschop (artistic director) and Goedele Bartholomeeusen (business director).
Mission of the festival From the start they wanted to show the highlights from the city's past and provide a meeting place for specialists, performers, instrument makers, educators, students, and music lovers.
The path had been prepared for this by Safford Cape, who had set the tone for its summer courses with Pro Musica Antiqua since 1961 in Bruges. From 1964 the organization of competitions was worked out in concrete terms within regularly successive three-yearly cycles. Immediately, the emphasis was also placed on these competitions, as the main opportunity to support the vibrancy and image of the festival and to introduce the ideas that the organizers were propagating to the younger generations.
Music making has been complemented by exhibitions and fairs, interpretation courses and master classes, forums, lectures, and guided visits to historic instruments in Flanders. Concert performances are focused on lesser-known music until about 1800.
Competition Ever since the first edition of this prestigious international competition, the MA Competition has established itself as a unique platform for training and professional integration and encounter of young promising talent. It actively supports the artistic process and some important values including equality, diversity and inclusion.
The MA Competition first took place in 1964 with a triennial competition for organ, followed in 1965 by a triennial competition for harpsichord and basso continuo and from 1983 also for pianoforte. In 1972 the competition was extended to include the recorder and the competition for ensembles was also started (which coincided with the organ competition from 2000). The program for baroque instruments became more and more extensive. Completed the list: traverso, baroque oboe, lute, cornetto, baroque violin and cello, viola de gamba ... Since 1984, singing has also been featured.
Due to the corona pandemic in 2020, the MA Competition did not take place for the first time since 1969. Thanks to a quick and efficient overhaul of the organization, the rest of the programming could continue online. Partly due to this crisis, in 2021 the organization of the festival was adapted to the situation and the first round of the competition takes place digitally. Starting this year, the competition will be a biennial event, alternating between keyboard instruments (harpsichord and pianoforte) and melodic instruments (traverso, recorder, baroque oboe, baroque violin, baroque cello and viola da gamba).
Since 2008, the winner of the first prize will, in addition to a cash prize, win the chance to be invited to a series of concerts taking place in Belgium and abroad, including a guaranteed place in the next edition of the MA Competition. In addition, since 2013, one of the candidates has the opportunity to record a CD with the internationally renowned Ricercar label.
International competition for organ and since 2000 for early music ensembles as well 1964
Jury: Catherine Crozier, Albert de Klerk, Kamiel D'Hooghe, Paul François, Hans Klotz and the blind organist Gaston Litaize number of candidates: 30 laureates: 1st prize: Niels Henrik Nielsen (Denmark) - 2nd prize: Rolf Stenholm (Sweden) - 3rd prize: Gerard Gillen (Ireland) - 4th prize: René Rakier (Netherlands) - 5th prize: Chris Dubois (Belgium)
1967
Jury: Kamiel D'Hooghe, Wolfgang Auler, Norbert Dufourcq, Paul François, Piet Kee number of candidates: 24 laureates: 1st prize: Günther Kaunzinger (Germany) - 2nd prize: Jack Hennigan (USA) - 3rd prize: Bengt Berg (Sweden) - 4th prize: Leo Krämer (Germany)
1970
Jury: Michel Chapuis, Kamiel D'Hooghe, Paul François, Friedrich Högner, Peter Hurford number of candidates: 45 laureates: 2nd prize: Lucie Madden (Canada) and Vladimir Ruso (Czechoslovakia) - 3rd prize: Helen Dugal (Canada) - 4th prize: M. Schmid (Switzerland)
1973
Jury: Kamiel D'Hooghe, Ludwig Doerr, Bernard Lagacé, Lionel Rogg, David Pizarro, Gabriel Verschraegen number of candidates: 53 laureates: 1st prize: Réjean Poirier (Canada) - 2nd prize: Dee Ann Crossley (US) - 3rd prize: Bram Beekman (Netherlands), Martin Lücker (Germany) and Bernhard Marx (Germany)
1976
Jury: Xavier Darasse, Albert de Klerk, Ludwig Doerr, Bernard Lagacé, Pierre Segond, Gabriel Verschraegen, Paul François (president) number of candidates: 84 laureates: 1st prize: Istvan Ella (Hungary) - 2nd prize: Christa Rakich (US) - 3rd prize: Alfred Halbartschlager (Austria) - 4th prize: Roman Summereder (Austria) - 5th prize: Wolfram Syré (Germany)
1979
Jury: Nicholas Danby, Xavier Darasse, Ton Koopman, Bernard Lagacé, Michael Radulescu, Gabriel Verschraegen number of candidates: 80 laureates: 1st prize: James David Christie (US) - 2nd prize: Michael Kapsner (Germany) - Karol Golebiowski (Poland) - 4th prize: Robert Bates (US) and Wolfgang Glüxam (Austria)
1982
Jury: Robert Enerson, Odile Bailleux, Chris Dubois, Johan Huys, Ton Koopman, Michael Radulescu, Jean-Claude Zehnder number of candidates: organ: 64 - organ positive: 8 laureates organ: 1st prize: Wolfgang Zerer (Germany) - 2nd prize: Guido Mayer (Austria) and Reitze Smits (Netherlands) - 3rd prize: Masaaki Suzuki (Japan) - 4th prize: Gilles Harlé (France) laureates organ positive: 2nd prize: Wolfgang Zerer (Germany) - 3rd prize: Geert Bierling (Netherlands) and John Finney (USA)
1985
Jury: James David Christie, Xavier Darasse, Stanislas Deriemaeker, Johan Huys, Ton Koopman, Simon Preston, Michael Radulescu number of candidates: 85 laureates: 2nd prize: Christoph Anselm Noll (Germany) - 3rd prize: Isolde Kittel (Germany) - 4th prize: Patrick Ayrton (Britain) and Markus Malin (Austria) - 5th prize: David Adams (Ireland) and Enrea Marcon (Italy) laureaat Bachprize: Michael Kapsner (Germany) - honorable mention: Geert Bierling (Netherlands)
1988
Jury: James David Christie, Xavier Darasse, Johan Huys, Ton Koopman, Leo Krämer, Michael Radulescu number of candidates: 79 laureates: 2nd prize: Bine Katrine Bryndorf (Denmark) and Gerhard Gnann (Germany) - 4th prize: N. Imaï (Japan)
1991
Jury: James David Christie, Xavier Darasse, Johan Huys, Leo Krämer, Michael Radulescu, Luigi Ferdinando Tagliavini number of candidates: 45 laureates: 1st prize: Bernhard Klapprott (Germany) - 3rd prize: Luca Antoniotti (Italy) and Junko Ito (Japan) - 4th prize: Junko Wada (Japan)
1994
Jury: Jean Boyer, Dorthy de Rooij, Johan Huys, Enré Luy, Karl Maureen, Luigi Ferdinando Tagliavini number of candidates: solo: 58 - duo (organ positive): 28 laureates organ: 1st prize: (USA) - 2nd prize: Luca Antoniotti (Italy) - 3rd prize: Roberto Menichetti (Italy) - 4th prize: Luca Scenali (Italy) and Enrea Vannucchi (Italy) laureates duo's: 1st prize: Antonio Galanti and Enrea Vannucchi (Italy) and Annette Richards (Britain) and David Yearsley (USA) - 2nd prize: Hadrien Jourdan (Switzerland) and Jean-Christophe Leclère (France) - 3rd prize: Christophe Körber and Christian Richter (Germany)
1997
Jury: Jean Boyer, Dorthy de Rooij, Lorenzo Ghielmi, Johan Huys, Martin Lücker, Michael Radulescu number of candidates: organ: 38 - duo's (organ positive): 18 laureates organ: 1st prize: Francis Jacob (France) - 2nd prize: Rie Hiroe (Japan) and Damien Simon (France) - 3rd prize: Wim Winters (Belgium) laureates duo's: 1st prize: Edita Keglerova and Iva Vedralova (Czech Republic) - 2nd prize: Olivier Fortin and Karoline Leblanc (Canada) - Sebastien Guillot and Pascal Dubreuil (France) - 3rd prize: Debora Villani and Maurizio Stefania (Italy)
2000
Jury organ: Michel Bouvard, Bine Katrine Bryndorf, Johan Huys, Dorthy de Rooij, Enrea Marcon, Wolfgang Zerer Jury ensembles: Bine Katrine Bryndorf, Johan Huys, María Cristina Kiehr, Enrea Marcon, Philip Pickett, Agata Sapiecha number of candidates: organ: 45 - ensembles: 16 laureates organ: 1st prize: Tobias Lindner (Germany) - 2nd prize: Frédéric Champion (France) and Erich Michael Türk (Roemenië) - 3rd prize: Hye-Sun Park (South-Korea) and Christian Schmitt (Germany) laureates ensembles: 1st prize: La Trulla de Bozes (Spain) - 2nd prize: La Calendola and La Fontaine Tokyo (Japan) - 3rd prize: Les Cornets Noirs (Germany)
2003
Jury organ: Johannes Geffert, Johan Huys, Enrea Marcon, Joris Verdin, David Yearsley Jury ensembles: Florian Heyerick, Johan Huys, María Cristina Kiehr, Agata Sapiecha, Stevie Wishart number of candidates: organ: 49 - ensembles: 21 laureates organ: 1st prize: Marketa Reindlova (Czech Republic) - 2nd prize: Maude Gratton (France) - 3rd prize: Benjamin Righetti (Switzerland) - 4th prize: Els Biesemans (Belgium) and Francesco Pedrini (Italy) laureates ensembles: 1st prize: L'Ornamento (Germany) - 2nd prize: Maude Gratton and Rossi Piceno (Internationaal) - 3rd prize: La Loge Olympique (France) and Ensemble Esperanto (Poland-Germany)
2006
Jury organ: Michel Bouvard, Jean Ferrard, Johannes Geffert, Lorenzo Ghielmi, Johan Huys, David Yearsley Jury ensembles: Jan De Winne, Johan Huys, Linda Nicholson, Agata Sapiecha, Barbara Schlick number of candidates: organ: 45 - ensembles: 12 laureates organ: 1st prize Wolfgang Kogert (Austria) - 2nd prize: Wouter Koelewijn (Netherlands) - 3rd prize: Paul Goussot (France) - 4th prize: Bart Jacobs (Belgium) - 5th prize: Krzysztof Pawlisz (Poland) - laureates ensembles: Baroque ensembles: 1st prize: Xacona - 2nd prize: Wooden Voices - ensembles Mozart: 1st prize: Duo Shichijo-Yamaguchi and Quatuor Fratres.
2009
Jury organ: Nicolau de Figueiredo, Johannes Geffert, Lorenzo Ghielmi, Theo Jellema, Johan Huys Jury ensembles: Bruce Dickey, Dominique Visse, Johan Huys number of candidates: organ: 10 - ensembles: 14 laureates organ:1st prize Ben Van Nespen (Belgium) - 2nd prize: Jean-Philippe Merckaert (Belgium) - 3rd prize: Simone Vebber (Italy) - Laureaat: Litz Aoki laureates ensembles: 1st prize: Ensemble Estampes of Les Timbres - 2nd prize ex aequo: Ensemble Diamanté and L'Art Du Bois
International competition for harpsichord, basso continuo and since 1983 also pianoforte 1965