Composers Soundtracks Festival 2026 – 1st edition

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A new film music festival is born: Composers Soundtracks Festival (CSF), which will be celebrated 4-6 June 2026 in The Netherlands.

 

Ideated and created by Brazilian composer and producer Marcos Souza, organizer of Musimagem Brasil (read more), this new festival will bring together composers, filmmakers, and audiences to celebrate the art of music for film and visual media.

Composers Soundtrack Festival 2026 - 1st edition

The festival will present a variety of workshops, lectures, and masterclasses, plus three concerts, and will have the following guest composers: Tim Rescala, Alberto Rosenblit, Mú Carvalho, Marcos Souza, Anselmo Mancini, Flavia Tygel, Marion Lemonnier, Matthijs Kieboom, Johan van der Voet, Luna Zegers, Annelotte Coster, Rui Reis Maia, and Ella van der Woude, among others.

 

SoundTrackFest is proud to be a partner of the festival in this first edition, where Gorka Oteiza, founder and director of SoundTrackFest, will give the conference “Live the Music – Soundtrack Festivals in Europe and America” on June 6th.

Composers Soundtrack Festival 2026 - 1st edition

 

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION

From 4 to 6 June 2026, the Composers Soundtracks Festival (CSF) will take place in the Netherlands for the first time. The festival was founded by Brazilian composer and producer Marcos Souza, who previously organized successful editions of the international film music festival Musimagem in Brazil, an event which since 2015 has hosted several internationally renowned composers, including Luis Ivars (Spain), Laurence Rosenthal (USA), Bruno Coulais (France), Christopher Young (USA), Bruce Broughton (USA), Rachel Portman (UK), and Heitor Pereira (Brazil/USA).

 

“Without music, an image often loses its dimension, depth, and sometimes even its meaning. With the CSF – Composers Soundtracks Festival, our goal is to bring composers, filmmakers, and audiences together to celebrate the power of music in storytelling and to highlight the essential role of composers in audiovisual culture.” — Marcos Souza.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The event brings together composers, filmmakers, and audiences to celebrate the art of music for film and visual media. The following composers have confirmed their participation in the first Dutch edition of the festival: Tim Rescala (Brazil – Velho Chico), Alberto Rosenblit (Brazil – Cabocla, Mad Maria), Mú Carvalho (Brazil – Os Sete Gatinhos, Navalha na Carne), Marcos Souza (Brazil – Betinho, a Esperança Equilibrista), Anselmo Mancini (Brazil – Entre Raiz e Asas, Jasmine), Flavia Tygel (Brazil – Torre das Donzelas, My Drywall Cocoon), Marion Lemonnier (France – Malvinas: O Diário de uma Guerra, The Quiet Diplomat), Matthijs Kieboom (Netherlands – Wolf, Gooische Vrouwen), Johan van der Voet (Netherlands – De Club van Vijf, Het Verhoor), and Ella van der Woude (Netherlands – Alpha, Instinct).

 

The festival will open on Thursday 4 June at LantarenVenster. At 8:30 PM, the award-winning film Central Station by Walter Salles will be screened with a live performance of the filmscore by the CSF String Quintet, Michael Rein (violin), Natália Ribeiro (violin), Francesca Wiersma (viola), Sebastiaan Halsema (cello), Louis van der Mespel (double bass), Tiago Lageira (guitar) and musical director and pianist Anselmo Mancini.

 

On 5 and 6 June, a variety of workshops, lectures, masterclasses, and panel discussions will take place at Teatro Munganga. These sessions aim to highlight the importance of film composers and their work. International composers and audiovisual professionals will come together to share their expertise, experiences, and the latest creative, technological, and industry developments with each other and with the public. This exchange of knowledge seeks to strengthen international collaboration while supporting the professional development and sustainability of film composers’ careers.

 

The program will also include informative sessions addressing the challenges faced by film composers in their work. Guest speakers from the film music sector include Giacomo Bonetti, European Affairs Officer at the European Composer and Songwriter Alliance (ECSA); Johan van der Voet, CEO of Soundgram Post Production and the Final Cue Music Library; and the Spanish journalist Gorka Oteiza affiliated to the SoundTrackFest/Spain, which has been organizing events around soundtrack composers in Spain since 2016.

 

The festival will conclude with a concert by the CSF String Quintet featuring film music by renowned composers from films such as the recent Oscar®-nominated movie The Secret Agent (Mateus Alves), Chocolat (Rachel Portman), Shrek (Harry Gregson-Williams), and Little Miss Sunshine (Mychael Danna) arranged by Alexey Kurkdjian Ogalla and a medley of works by Brazilian soundtrack composer Marcos Valle, arranged by Dudu Viana.

 

The Composers Soundtracks Festival was founded by Marcos Souza with the support of Buma in Motion, ECSA and the Brazilian Embassy in The Hague and is sponsored by Embratut.

 

Free admission for all event activities (entry passes will be distributed 30 minutes before each one), except for concerts, which will require specific tickets.

 

Sign-up for the 1st edition of Composers Soundtracks Festival: (LINK)

DETAILED PROGRAM

Thu, 4/6/2026 – 20:30h – Opening Night: Cine-Concert at Lantaren Venster, Rotterdam, NL

‘Central Station’ – Film Screening with Live Soundtrack

A special opening cine-concert featuring the award-winning Brazilian film with a live performance of its soundtrack.

 

Musical Direction:

  • Anselmo Mancini – piano
  • CSF String Quintet
  • Michael Rein – violin
  • Natália Ribeiro – violin
  • Francesca Wiersma – viola
  • Sebastiaan van Halsema – cello
  • Louis van der Mespel – double bass

Special Guest:

  • Tiago Lageira – guitar

 

Tickets (20€): https://www.lantarenvenster.nl/programma/central-do-brasil/

 

Fri, 5/6/2026 – Teatro Munganga Programming, Amsterdam, NL

9:00h – Opening Ceremony: Brazil & The Netherlands

  • Opening remarks with Brazilian and Dutch composers, invited guests, members of the Brazilian Embassy, and journalists.
  • Speakers include:
    • Marcos Souza – President of Musimagem and Festival Director
    • Felipe Marques – Head of the Cultural Sector, Brazilian Embassy in The Hague
    • Carlos Lagoeiro
    • Claudia Maoli

 

9:30h – Panel Discussion – Film Scoring in Brazil and Europe

  • Brazilian and Dutch composers discuss their creative processes, industry structures, and the evolving landscape of film music.
  • Speakers (Brazil): Tim Rescala, Alberto Rosenblit, Mú Carvalho, Marion Lemonnier, Anselmo Mancini, Flavia Tygel
  • Speakers (The Netherlands): Matthijs Kieboom, Ella van der Woude, Luna Zegers, Annelotte Coster, Rui Reis Maia
  • Moderator: Marcos Souza (CSF)

 

11:00h – Workshop – Music for Audiovisual Media as a Reference for Other Music

  • Led by Brazilian composer Tim Rescala, this workshop explores how music functions as a narrative tool in film, shaping emotion, structure, and storytelling.
  • Instructor: Tim Rescala (Brazil)

 

12:30h – Networking Brunch – Hosted by Buma in Motion

 

14:00h – Course for Music & Audiovisual Students – Cine-Concert: From Stage to Screen

  • A practical exploration of the process of producing cine-concerts, from musical preparation to synchronization with film.
  • Instructor: Anselmo Mancini (Brazil)

 

15:00h – ECSA Session – Current Challenges for Audiovisual Composers in Europe

  • Giacomo Bonetti from European Composer and Songwriter Alliance presents the main challenges facing audiovisual composers in Europe, including harmful contract practices and developments in EU legislation related to composers’ rights.
  • Speaker: Giacomo Bonetti (ECSA)

 

15:30h – Workshop – Music for Television

  • Instructors: Mú Carvalho (Brazil), Alberto Rosenblit (Brazil), Marion Lemonnier (France/Brazil)

 

19:00h – Concert – Live Concert by Brazilian and Dutch Composers

  • An evening concert featuring original music and film scores by festival composers.
  • Brazil: Tim Rescala, Alberto Rosenblit, Mú Carvalho, Marion Lemonnier, Marcos Souza, Anselmo Mancini, Flavia Tygel
  • The Netherlands: Ella van der Woude, Luna Zegers, Annelotte Coster, Rui Reis Maia
  • Tickets (15€): link

 

Sat, 6/6/2026 – Teatro Munganga Programming, Amsterdam, NL

9:00h – Film Screening – Brazilian Films Through Their Soundtracks

  • Screening of selected Brazilian films highlighting the importance of original scores in storytelling.

 

13:00h – Live the Music – Soundtrack Festivals in Europe and America

  • Gorka Oteiza (SoundTrackFest/Spain)

 

14:00h – Panel Discussion – Music Supervision in Brazil and Europe

  • Speakers: Johan van der Voet (The Netherlands), Marcos Souza (Brazil)

 

15:00h – Workshop – What Do You Feel When You Hear This?

  • Instructor: Alberto Rosenblit (Brazil)
  • Participants will listen to musical excerpts without seeing the accompanying images and discuss the emotions and narratives they perceive.

 

19:00h – Closing Concert – Soundtrack Concert with Guest String Quintet

  • The Secret Agent (Mateus Alves), Chocolat (Rachel Portman), Shrek (Harry Gregson-Williams), and Little Miss Sunshine (Mychael Danna) arranged by Alexey Kurkdjian Ogalla and medley of works by Brazilian soundtrack composer Marcos Valle arranged by Dudu Viana.
  • Tickets (25€): link

 

Composers Soundtracks Festival (CSF) – Teaser:

https://youtube.com/shorts/s8EBtSXmAZE

 

You can read more about this 1st edition of Composers Soundtracks Festival (CSF) here:

https://www.institutochicomario.org.br/composers-soundtracks-fetival-csf/

 

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