IMAGEM’S BOOSEY & HAWKES SIGNS PUBLISHING AGREEMENT WITH DUTCH COMPOSER THOM WILLEMS

21 July 2015 - Press release

The world’s leading classical music publisher, Boosey & Hawkes, is delighted to announce a new agreement with Dutch composer Thom Willems.

As the musical muse for award winning choreographer William Forsythe since 1985, the new deal sees Boosey & Hawkes acquire the copyrights in Willems’ music for over 60 Forsythe ballets including In The Middle, Somewhat Elevated, The Loss Of  Small Detail and Herman Schmerman.

Thom Willems’ close collaboration with William Forsythe has created a radical development in both the movement and sound of classical ballet. Willems’ electronic scores  – characterised by subtle soundscapes, insistent rhythms and urban sonorities  – form an intrinsic part of the architecture of these ballets.

As part of the new deal, as with all Boosey & Hawkes repertoire, the catalogue will go through Imagem’s award winning Creative Services department for sync promotion. Boosey & Hawkes, a unit of Imagem Group, has a catalogue including masters of the 20^th century including Stravinsky and Prokofieff, alongside contemporary composers Steve Reich, Karl Jenkins, John Adams

Thom Willems commented on the new agreement: “When I began to look for the right long-term home for my music, I was impressed by Boosey & Hawkes for its active engagement with the world of ballet and dance and its catalogue of iconic works. I know that my music is in good hands.”

Janis Susskind, Boosey & Hawkes Managing Director, said: “With The Rite of Spring as the foundation stone of our catalogue, we have ballet music in our DNA, and it is a pleasure to add Thom Willem’s innovative scores to our offering.”