What is EMJ ?

Making music and singing together

After a modest start in 1953, the European Music Festival for Young People in Neerpelt soon became one of the most prominent festivals in Europe. Today, it can no longer be disregarded from the international music scene. Each year around the first of May, Neerpelt (in the North of Limburg - Belgium) is the home town of the European Music Festival for Young People. This annual musical feast is alternately organized for choirs and for instrumental ensembles. Each year, four to six thousand young people from Europe and from all over the world render the colourful and flag-brightened streets an international atmosphere of fraternisation.

Moreover, after all these years, the European Music Festival for Young People still knows how to fascinate and impress young musicians and vocalists from all over Europe. Making music and singing together, across all frontiers and ideologies, is and will be one of the climaxes of their activity.
Apart from the jury performances evaluated by an international jury, the public can enjoy all kinds of happenings and evening concerts. The absolute peak are the proclamations and the laureate concerts, performed by the best groups of the day. Year after year, the visitors are impressed by the unusually edifying performances of the youthful amateurs. They also learn to appreciate and love music. Although the European Music Festival for Young People looks a lot different from half a century ago, the organizers still keep some of the goals of the first editions in mind: encourage young people and give them the opportunity to make music and sing together. Neerpelt also wants to be “the place to be” where youngsters from different countries and cultures can meet and appreciate each other through their singing and music. Famous conductors, composers and jury members praise the value of this festival. The combination of fraternisation and competition ensures the presence of the best ensembles on stage. The participants know that the spirit of the festival also inspires to solidarity in music and to simple border-crossing human contact. All over the world people practise music but nowhere better than in Neerpelt they get the opportunity to develop their talents before an audience of connoisseurs and an international professional jury. The judgement they receive after their jury concert is a standard of value that has built a thorough tradition, appreciated all over Europe.

Music and singing are the most important aspects of the European Music Festival for Young People but also meeting, fraternization and exchange between participants and the local population play an important role. With the motto “Alle Menschen werden Brüder”, the community of Neerpelt, its citizens and the many volunteers in the organization and board contribute to that musical and joyful meeting and to the success of the festival. Many orchestral conductors, choral conductors, musicians, singers and their companions show themselves very enthusiastic over the perfect organization, the warm welcome, the kindness and the patience of the festival staff members and the pleasant and unforgettable moments they’ve experienced during the festival days.

Would your vocal or instrumental group like to participate in this festival and taste that unique atmosphere? A warm welcome to Neerpelt!

Juryconcerts

The main part of the festival are the jury concerts. Every participating ensemble will bring their programme before an international renowned jury who will judge the performances from a constructive angle.

Ensembles can participate in following categories during an instrumental festival:

  • Category A: symphonic band, fanfare, brass band, big band
  • Pennant category A: symphonic band, fanfare, brass band, big band (*)
  • Category B: Jazz ensembles
  • Pennant category B: Jazz ensembles (*)
  • Category C: Percussion ensembles
  • Pennant category C: Percussion ensembles (*)
  • Category D: traditional instrumental and vocal chamber music
  • Pennant category D: traditional instrumental and vocal chamber music (*)
  • Category E: String and symphony orchestras
  • Pennant category E: String and symphony orchestras (*)
  • Category F: ensembles with free instrumentation (= ensembles with several instruments from all possible instrument groups) and folk music
  • Pennant category F: ensembles with free instrumentation (= ensembles with several instruments from all possible instrument groups) and folk music (*)
  • Category G: ancient music (i.e. ancient music up to and including baroque)
  • Pennant category G: ancient music (i.e. ancient music up to and including baroque) (*)

(*) For the pennant categories following ensembles will be taken into account
- ensembles that received a first prize cum laude during a previous festival or
- ensembles that gained a remarkable result at an international festival or
- ensembles that can show a thorough artistic experience
- ensembles are obliged to prove their quality level by a recent DVD recording.

 

Choirs can during a choral festival participate in following categories:
  • Category A: Children's choirs
  • Category B: Single-voice youth choirs
  • Category C: mixed-voice youth choirs
  • Category D: Pennant series children's choirs
  • Category E: Pennant series single-voice youth choirs
  • Category F: Pennant series mixed-voice youth choirs
  • Category G: Free ensembles (close harmony, vocal jazz, gospel & spiritual and mixed vocal-instrumental ensembles)

(*) For the pennant categories following choirs will be taken into account
- choirs that received a first prize cum laude during a previous festival or
- choirs that gained a remarkable result at an international festival or
- choirs that can show a thorough artistic experience
- choirs are obliged to prove their quality level by a recent DVD recording.
Next to their own repertoire every choir (except category G) must perform a category related compulsory song composed for the European Music Festival by Flemish composers.