On December 18 my new work Shame! will be premiered in Rotterdam De Doelen. The piece is based on surviving texts by Emmeline Pankhurst (1858-1928), founder and leader of the Suffragettes. This organization set out to gain suffrage for women in Britain and gained worldwide fame for not hesitating to take militant action to support their cause.
Shame! is part of Whirly Girls, a performance by ensemble Electra in which tribute is paid to five strong women in history. The other compositions are by Renske Vrolijk, Vanessa Lann and Michiel Mensingh.
See ‘upcoming concerts’ for the playlist.
Totally forgot to mention: I got accepted to the master composition in Amsterdam! Over the next two years I will study composition with Willem Jeths and Richard Ayres, and electronic music with Jorrit Tamminga. My research will focus on music theatre and the collaboration between different disciplines - music, dance, theater and film.
I will also get piano lessons again and I will follow lessons at the University of Amsterdam. On Tuesdays I will conduct the Choir of the Barlaeus Gymnasium. Thus, it should be two great years!
From July 24 until July 29 2011 the 8th festival Tharaux Arts&Musique will take place. Pianist and initiator Marja Bon asked me as composer in residence to write three new compositions: one work for piano solo, one work for two clarinets and a sound sculpture made by Ernest Laeven and one work for musicians and villagers.
The concerts will include pieces from Claude Debussy, Francis Poulenc, Erik Satie, Ron Ford and Wolfgang Rihm. During Debussy's La Boîte a Joujoux artist Saskia Masselink will make live-illustrations.
Besides the concerts, ten artists will exhibit their work. See ‘upcoming concerts’ and www.tharauxartsetmusique.fr
In April, the Dutch Students’ Chamber Orchestra conducted by Harmen Cnossen will perform my new work Blazing a Trail. The harp is the instrument that is blazing the trail for the orchestra: she introduces notes and rhythms, supported by the percussion, that are then taken over by the orchestra.
Apart from my piece, Bruckner’s Drei Stücke für Kammerorchester will be performed, as well as the Beethoven’s 6th Symphony and Mahler songs with Rosanne van Sandwijk as the soloist. The performances will take place in Groningen, Leiden, Maastricht, Nijmegen, Utrecht and Amsterdam. Blazing a Trail was created with financial support from the Fonds Podiumkunsten.
Foundation Le Pavillon asked writer Marije Korthof and me to create a work based on Cecilia, the patroness of music. It didn’t end up becoming a simple piece. Each choir member has a great responsibility, not least because the chords are often 8, 10 and in the final chord even 16-voiced. The harmonies usually start simple and then evolve into clusters.
Over the centuries, there are hundreds if not thousands of texts and compositions dedicated to Cecilia, so in advance I was curious about what Marije would do with this theme. Marije's text has become more than a tribute to Cecilia. It celebrates not only her story but is also a plea for life itself.
The Lelikoor led by JanJoost van Elburg will perform the work on the 20th and 21nd of November in Amsterdam and Utrecht (see agenda).
For the past few weeks I have been occupied with a special project: writing music to De Weerwolf van Millingen. This saga from the past of Gelderland (a Dutch province) relates the story of Dorus van de Dries, who turns into a werewolf each time the moon is full. One day, the villagers decide that enough is enough and they gather at Dorus' house to cure him of his 'werewolving'.
The work will be performed by the HGO Rebels (musicians from the Gelders Orkest) conducted by Alexander de Blaeij, together with actor Nard Verdonschot. Performances on 16th and 23rd October (see the Agenda). The programme also features works by Barnacle and Debussy.
From 4-16 March, four musicians who had won prizes in the Princess Christina Concours toured India. This ensemble - the Princess Ensemble - consisted of Nora Fischer (soprano), Rianne Jongsma (flute), Bas Treub (violin) and Andrea Vasi (piano). I was asked to write a piece for this occasion. The text I used was a poem by Robert Anker, Valentijn - een week te laat. The quartet played the work twice: on March 11th in Mumbai during a private concert at the residence of ambassador Marijke van Drunen Littel, and on March 16th at an open air concert in David Hall, Kochi.
During the final concert of the Dutch Music days, all five nominees' works for the Henriëtte Bosmansprize 2009 were performed. After a very good performance by the New Ensemble conducted by Hans Leenders, the evening was already a success for me.
After the break the prizes were awarded. The chairman of the Association of Dutch Composers, Jeff Hamburg, addressed the audience. and told them about the record number of almost 50 entries this year. Afterwards he presented the results: the Henriëtte Bosmansprize (juryprize) was awarded to the British Hilary Jeffery (Vishnu Stokkings), the Tera de Marez Oyensprize was awarded to the Colombian Natalia Dominguez Rangel (Speech Perceptions), and the audience prize was awarded for my piece Broken Lines. Hurrah!
11 October is the date! During the final concert my composition Broken Lines will be performed by the Nieuw Ensemble conducted by Hans Leenders. This piece has been nominated for the Henriëtte Bosmansprijs, a prize for young emerging composers living in the Netherlands. Other nominees are Silvia Borzelli (sur-itinéraire), Hilary Jeffery (Vishnu Stokkings), Ezequiel Menalled (Brùjula) and Natalia Dominguez Rangel (Speech Perceptions).
Apart from a performance of all these pieces, the programme will also include works bij Micha Hamel, Wim Laman and Rodney Sharman.
Following this concert the jury as well as the audience will make their decision.
24 April finally came: my piece Broken Lines for Nieuw Ensemble was premiered in het Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ.
All pieces played formed the culmination of a wonderful project where young composers had several sessions in which fragments of their work were played by the Nieuw Ensemble. We received excellent advice from the musicians of the Nieuw Ensemble, conductor Lucas Vis, artistic leader Joël Bons and various guest teachers. For me personally, the high point was the final session with the ensemble when guest composer Brian Ferneyhough not only gave great advice but also spoke animatedly about our work.
On 6 February my piece Te Deum for organ and cello performed by DuoVanCampvanDelft was premiered in de Oranjekerk, Amsterdam. This concert formed a platform for poets and composers to work together and I found my inspiration for Te Deum in a poem, specially written for this occasion by Anneke Brassinga. I interpreted this poem as being about sounds, sounds which were together as well as independent from each other and finally melting into the ether: to the immensity, the far away sigh of yesteryear.
The organ and cello begin playing in different tempos, independently from each other but at certain moments come together and gradually blend into each other.
Nineteen was premiered in the Rabobankzaal of Music center Frits Philips in Eindhoven on 19 November. This is a piece for string quartet and tubular bells and formed part of the Tromp Festival (held especially for string quartet and percussion every two years) in Eindhoven. The piece is based on the number nineteen, as the title suggests. Two instrumental groups (violin 1, cello and tubular bells set 1 against violin 2, viola and tubular bells set 2) weave rhythmic patterns through each other allowing the note values of 'nineteen sixteenth' to keep appearing. I strayed from the concept when I thought it necessary.
Contra turrim Trajectensem, my composition for two voices and orchestra, had its premiere in the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ (Amsterdam) on Monday 29 September. Lucas Vis conducted the Geert Groote Orchestra, soprano Annet Lans and alto Ananda Goud. I wrote this piece for the 75th anniversary of the Geert Groote School in Amsterdam and used a text from a tract by Groote: Opus contra magna edifica superflua principaliter contra turrim Trjectensem, published in 1376. Geert Groote felt strongly against the building of the Dom tower of Utrecht. He believed this would only lead to vanity and pride and above all would be built at the expense of the poor.
The piano recital of the Royal Conservatory's Young Talents Programme took place on 7 December 2007. It was a varied programme but all pianists were obliged to play Troubled Thoughts, which I had written especially for this examination. Everyone interpreted this piece in their own way, one in extremely fast tempo, another in a slow and expressive way. Many of the pianists evidently enjoyed playing this piece, since it was later played at the Christina Concours, the Steinway Concours and by Ghil Bae at the international piano concours in Maria Campini (Portugal) where it was awarded the 2nd prize.
The Young Composers' Meeting took place from 4 up to and including 9 March 2007 in Apeldoorn. I was one of the 16 composers selected to compose a three-minute piece for orchestra 'de ereprijs' and five singers studying at the Conservatory in The Hague, conducted by Rob Vermeulen. We received lessons and workshops from composers Louis Andriessen, Richard Ayres, Joe Cutler, Mary Finsterer, Martijn Padding and voice coach Gerda van Zelm. This was followed by several rehearsals where we could work on our compositions as preparation for the final concert held later that week. It was a wonderful week, especially thanks to the excellent lessons we received and the great atmosphere within our group of
composers!
On 14, 21 and 28 January the qualifying rounds were held for the Iordens Violin competition in the Schönberghall, The Hague. The closing concert was Saturday February 4. All participants were between 12 and 14 years old and were obliged to play Overdrive, a piece I had specially written for this occasion. I heard my piece at least 35 times!This was an extremely special and valuable experience for me.
The piece was also performed on 15 April during a lunch-time concert in the Dr. Anton Philipszaal by Gabriele Kuchenbecker (and aired on Radio West) and was also recorded for an information film Where is the door? This film about dementia was directed by Najib Taoujni. In this recording, Jan-Erik van Regteren Altena was the violinist and Kimball Huigens was the pianist.
As part of the 'Virtuoso! Unheard-of-Rembrandt' project, held on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 November 2006, the newest compositions by the Royal Conservatory students of composition were played alongside works by 17th century composers. My piece named after Portret van een vrouw op 83 jarige leeftijd (Portrait of an 83 year old woman) was also played. It proved an exciting challenge to transform such an expressive painting into music. Rembrandt evokes an illusion of
clarity while his technique suggests intimation and detachment. It is a jumble of fine and rough strokes criss-crossing each other. The complicated details were painted with unbelievable precision. With this in mind I set to work . This composition was performed by the Rembrandt Ensemble conducted by Bas Wiegers in the Scheltema Complex in Leiden.
14 March 2012 – 14.30 Ostadetheater, Amsterdam – Marja Bon, Arjan Woudenberg and Martine Belderok – Vernissage for two clarinets and sound sculpture
30 March 2012 – 20.00 Het Mosterdzaadje, Santpoort Noord – Josje Lodder – Contraste for flute, clarinet and piano
14 April 2012 – 20.00 Kees van Barenzaal, Conservatory The Hague – Ligeti Academy – new work for ensemble
23 April 2012 – 20.15 Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, Amsterdam – Ligeti Academy – new work for ensemble
27 April 2012 – 20.30 Axes Jazzpower, Eindhoven – Ensemble Electra – Shame! for voice, recorder, violin and percussion
28 April 2012 – 20.30 Korzo, Den Haag – Ensemble Electra – Shame! for voice, recorder, violin and percussion
31 May 2012 – 20.30 Ostadetheater, Amsterdam – Ensemble Electra – Shame! for voice, recorder, violin and percussion
13 June 2012 – 19.30 Theatre Hall Conservatory of Amsterdam new music theatre work