Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG) and Het Muziek have announced the two composers selected for the inaugural Crossing Forward International Exchange Residency, a new initiative supporting artistic collaboration and experimentation between England and the Netherlands.

Following an open call which attracted 49 applications from across the international contemporary music community, England-based composer Fraz Ireland has been selected to undertake a residency with Het Muziek, while Netherlands-based composer Jasper de Bock will work with BCMG.

Through immersive residencies embedded within each ensemble between April and December 2026, the composers will develop new works in close dialogue with performers while engaging with different artistic and cultural contexts. The new works will form part of concerts performed by the ensembles in autumn 2026.

Applications from composers in the early stages of building an international reputation were assessed on artistic strength, their potential to enhance each ensemble’s learning and audience engagement work, and their suitability for the respective ensemble. The selection panel included representatives from BCMG and Het Muziek, alongside composers Julian Anderson and Anne-Maartje Lemereis.

Fraz Ireland, Composer, said:
“I’m so excited to be working with Het Muziek this year. I’ll be writing music through experimentation, exploring different approaches to communication, notation, and collaboration, and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.”

Jasper de Bock, Composer, said:
“I’m thrilled to be working with BCMG. I’m particularly interested in their physical energy and focus, and how this shapes the music they perform. By exploring extremes of speed and concentration, I hope to push towards a kind of transcendence and create a piece that brings this relationship to the forefront.”

Stephan Meier, Artistic Director and CEO of BCMG, said:
“We created the Crossing Forward International Exchange Residency to support composers in developing bold new ideas through close, sustained collaboration with performers. We’re immensely grateful to Fonds Podiumkunsten / Performing Arts Fund NL and Arts Council England for supporting this new sceme at a time when connectivity with European neighbours seems of the essence.”

Fedor Teunisse, Artistic Director of Het Muziek, said:
The strength and individuality of the applications made this a highly competitive process, and we’re delighted to be working with Fraz Ireland and Jasper de Bock as they explore new approaches to composition, performance and audience engagement in an international context.”

Fraz Ireland is a composer whose work spans multiple mediums, incorporating video, text and performance to explore themes of identity, play and process. A graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music and the University of Manchester, she has worked with organisations including Contemporary Music for All, Hereford Chamber Choir and the Sunday Boys, and has taken part in development programmes with Sound and Music, Psappha and Britten Pears Arts. Her work often reflects her background in choral and instrumental music while embracing experimental and multimedia forms.

During her residency with Het Muziek, Fraz Ireland will explore experimental approaches to notation, developing a series of works that range from text and graphic scores to video and sonic materials. Her practice foregrounds the role of performers as creative collaborators, often inviting them to engage with their instruments in unfamiliar ways. She is also interested in how audiences engage with the unseen elements of performance, including the potential for scores and programme notes to shape listening experiences.

Website: https://www.frazdotcom.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fraz_ireland

Jasper de Bock is a composer and graduate of the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. His music often engages with the past – reworking, distorting or reflecting on it – and frequently incorporates theatrical and physical elements. He has received numerous awards, including prizes at the Princess Christina Concours and the Tchaikovsky Symphony Festival Composition Competition, and his work has been performed by leading ensembles and orchestras across Europe and beyond.

During his residency with BCMG, Jasper de Bock will focus on the relationship between physicality and musical abstraction. His work often explores extremes of motion and endurance, with performers pushed to the limits of speed, repetition and concentration. He aims to create a new work for acoustic ensemble foregrounding the physical interaction between players and investigating how this can shape musical form.

Website: https://jasperdebockcomposer.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasperdebock_composer

Crossing Forward is funded by Arts Council England and Fonds Podiumkunsten / Performing Arts Fund NL, and supported by the Embassy of the Netherlands in the United Kingdom.