A new publisher in musicainfo.net: Willemsmusiik! The publishing house pursues a remarkable mission: the rediscovery and revival of lost or forgotten repertoire from past eras. The publisher realizes this approach primarily through two special edition series that focus on different areas of music history and thus make valuable contributions to musical diversity.
- – Weinberger Editions: A core area of Willemsmusiik’s work is the Weinberger Editions, the aim of which is to publish works that were thought to be lost or previously unknown. This series of editions comprises over 200 compositions that have been brought back to light thanks to intensive research. The works span different eras and offer both music lovers and professional musicians the opportunity to rediscover and perform long-forgotten masterpieces. This represents an important contribution to the preservation and rediscovery of musical cultural assets that would have remained in obscurity without these efforts.
- – Editions Il Fagotto Fiamenti: Another core element of Willemsmusiik is the“Editions Il Fagotto Fiamenti” series, which specializes in lost and unpublished works for bassoon. The focus here is on music from the 17th to 19th centuries, an era in which the bassoon played an important role in chamber music and the orchestral repertoire. By working meticulously to rediscover and publish these works, the publisher has made it possible for this often underestimated instrument and its historical significance to once again receive increased attention in the ensemble. This edition makes a valuable contribution to the expansion of the bassoon repertoire and offers musicians the opportunity to perform authentic works from this period.
- – A platform for contemporary composers: In addition to reviving historical works, Willemsmusiik also focuses on promoting contemporary music. The publishing house offers modern composers a platform to make their works accessible to a wide audience. This openness to new musical trends shows that Willemsmusiik is not only anchored in the past, but also actively contributes to the development and continuation of music. This results in new works that enrich the musical heritage and expand the contemporary repertoire.
- – Editions Adolphesaxquartette: Another important offering from the publisher is the Editions Adolphesaxquartette, which are specially designed for saxophone quartets. This series includes not only new works for saxophones of all genres, but also arrangements of works originally written for other instruments. Through these arrangements, Willemsmusiik gives saxophonists access to literature that would otherwise not be available to them, thus contributing to the expansion of the saxophone repertoire. This edition underlines the publisher’s versatile approach by creating new musical paths for saxophonists as well as making existing musical traditions accessible in an innovative way.
Here we introduce you to the owner of the publishing house: Tristan Willems received his formal music education at Northwestern University, where he studied with members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and received that institution’s first degree in woodwind performance. He went on to study at New York University and the Conductor’s Institute.
His career has touched virtually every facet of the music industry; he has performed in and composed for the theater, been a member of several orchestras in the United States (playing bassoon, clarinet, oboe and saxophone), is the author of over five hundred compositions and arrangements, owns a music publishing company (Brazinmusikanta Publications and Willemsmusiik), was Vice President of Jeffrey James Arts Consultants (an arts management company), and founded 4-Tay, Incorporated (record label).
From 1994 to 2002, Dr. Willems was music director and conductor of the Britten-on-the-Bay Festival Chorus and Orchestra in New York. Also in 1994, he founded the Adolphe Saxquartet and has performed or commissioned many works in this genre worldwide. The quartet has been invited to several world saxophone congresses and has performed at several North American Saxophone Alliance conferences. In the United States, Dr. Willems has taught music in public schools and has served as a professor of conducting, music business and applied woodwinds at several colleges and universities. As a conductor, he has worked and recorded with the Slovak Radio Orchestra, Kosice State Philharmonic, AÞena Kammersveit, Czech National Orchestra and Budapest Symphony Orchestra. More recently, he has taught at the Reykjanesbær School of Music in Iceland and was professor of woodwinds and chamber music at the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music in Jerusalem. He currently lives and works in Oppland, Norway.
Willemsmusiik’s publishing program combines the rediscovery of musical treasures thought to be lost and the promotion of contemporary works. The Weinberger Editions and Il Fagotto Fiamenti revive historical repertoire, while the Editions Adolphesaxquartette and the platform for new composers help to shape the future of music. The publishing house thus makes an important contribution to the preservation and further development of musical culture and offers both musicians and the public a varied and enriching range of products.
