Merlijn Twaalfhoven
Encyclopedia
Merlijn Twaalfhoven is a Dutch
composer
and theatre
maker. He graduated from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam
in 2003. Twaalfhoven is internationally active in creating innovative projects and writing new music
for orchestras, choirs and chamber music groups. He collaborated with Toneelgroep Amsterdam, Holland Festival, Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest, the Dutch National Ballet
and Springdance festival, among many others. With his non profit organization La Vie Sur Terre he frequently produces large scale projects on location with local artists and musicians, for example in Cyprus
, Japan
, Jordan
, the Palestinian Territories
, Syria
, and Central Europe
.
or non-Western culture. He also tends to get the musicians out of their usual behaviour patterns and so stimulate interactions with the audience. His projects often take place at alternative concert locations such as a shipyard in the Amsterdam
harbor, an old warehouse, or a nature spot. Politics are part of a majority of his work. This can be seen by the areas of social tension he brings his works to (for example Cyprus
or the Palestinian Territories
). He often speaks and writes about his outspoken vision on art and it's function in society. A few illustrations are: his speech during TEDx Amsterdam conference in 2009, his professorship at ArtEZ School of Arts (see Research), as well as his published articles and book (see Publications).
. He performed this task for the municipality of Zaanstad
where he was appointed for one year on September 25, 2006. Local musicians, professionals, actors, visual artists and volunteers played leading roles at all performances. The post of citycomposer is not unique to the Netherlands. For instance Ghent
in Belgium
had a citycomposer appointed for the first time in 2004. Twaalfhoven's work in Zaanstad
culminated in a large main event: 'Droomzomernacht', an adaptation of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, performed with over 150 local musicians, dancers and actors
In October 2010 he has been appointed for the task of citycomposer again, this time in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer
.
he performed artistic research on Japanese aesthetics
.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
maker. He graduated from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam
Conservatorium van Amsterdam
The Conservatorium van Amsterdam is a Dutch academy of music located in Amsterdam. This school is the music division of the Amsterdamse Hogeschool voor de Kunsten, the city's vocational university of arts...
in 2003. Twaalfhoven is internationally active in creating innovative projects and writing new music
Contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music can be understood as belonging to the period that started in the mid-1970s with the retreat of modernism. However, the term may also be employed in a broader sense to refer to all post-1945 modern musical forms.-Categorization:...
for orchestras, choirs and chamber music groups. He collaborated with Toneelgroep Amsterdam, Holland Festival, Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest, the Dutch National Ballet
Dutch National Ballet
Dutch National Ballet was formed in 1961 when the Amsterdams Ballet and the Nederlands Ballet merged. The company has been directed by Sonia Gaskell , Rudi van Dantzig , Wayne Eagling and is currently directed by Ted Brandsen. It is the largest dance company in the Netherlands and attracts many...
and Springdance festival, among many others. With his non profit organization La Vie Sur Terre he frequently produces large scale projects on location with local artists and musicians, for example in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, the Palestinian Territories
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, and Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
.
Artistic vision
For Twaalfhoven, musical expression revolves around communication: 'A work of art doesn't mean anything if the audience is not touched by it' He tends to take music out of its traditional surroundings, to mix it with other expressions of WesternWestern culture
Western culture, sometimes equated with Western civilization or European civilization, refers to cultures of European origin and is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and...
or non-Western culture. He also tends to get the musicians out of their usual behaviour patterns and so stimulate interactions with the audience. His projects often take place at alternative concert locations such as a shipyard in the Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
harbor, an old warehouse, or a nature spot. Politics are part of a majority of his work. This can be seen by the areas of social tension he brings his works to (for example Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
or the Palestinian Territories
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
). He often speaks and writes about his outspoken vision on art and it's function in society. A few illustrations are: his speech during TEDx Amsterdam conference in 2009, his professorship at ArtEZ School of Arts (see Research), as well as his published articles and book (see Publications).
City Composer
Twaalfhoven was the first 'citycomposer' in the NetherlandsNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. He performed this task for the municipality of Zaanstad
Zaanstad
Zaanstad is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Its main town is Zaandam. It is part of the metropolitan area of Amsterdam.-Population centres:...
where he was appointed for one year on September 25, 2006. Local musicians, professionals, actors, visual artists and volunteers played leading roles at all performances. The post of citycomposer is not unique to the Netherlands. For instance Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
had a citycomposer appointed for the first time in 2004. Twaalfhoven's work in Zaanstad
Zaanstad
Zaanstad is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Its main town is Zaandam. It is part of the metropolitan area of Amsterdam.-Population centres:...
culminated in a large main event: 'Droomzomernacht', an adaptation of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, performed with over 150 local musicians, dancers and actors
In October 2010 he has been appointed for the task of citycomposer again, this time in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer
Haarlemmermeer
Haarlemmermeer is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is a polder, consisting of land reclaimed from water, and the name Haarlemmermeer means Haarlem's Lake, still referring to the body of water from which the region was reclaimed in the 19th century.Its main...
.
Selected Projects
- Al Quds Underground (2009/2010) Festival in East JerusalemEast JerusalemEast Jerusalem or Eastern Jerusalem refer to the parts of Jerusalem captured and annexed by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and then captured and annexed by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War...
. Western and Palestinian musicians and actors collaborate in about 150 small performances in living rooms. - La Nuit n'est pas un chocolat (2002–2006) Yearly spectacle combining contemporary music, theater, cookery and dance. (Performance location: ParadisoParadiso (Amsterdam)Paradiso is an iconic rock music venue and cultural center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.-History:It is housed in a converted former church building that dates from the nineteenth century and that was used until 1965 as the meeting hall for a liberal Dutch religious group known as the "Vrije...
, Amsterdam 2002-2006) - Long Distance Call (2005) A project in CyprusCyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
with musicians from both sides of the border. They performed on rooftops to bridge the buffer zone that is dividing the island into a Greek and a Turkish part. - Symphony for All (2006) Performed by professional and amateur musicians together with school children
- Torenhoog Mijlenbreed (2009) Large scale composition for modern carillon (named 'de Zingende Toren', designed by artist Bernard Heesen) and about 500 school children and 9 professional singers, performed at the opening of 'Cultuurcampus Vleuterweide'.
Discography
- 1 Gram Of Time 2005 (CD by Amstel Quartet for which Twaalfhoven composed the title song) Amstel Records AR 004.
- Off Limits 2006 (Cd by Susanna Borsch on which she plays 'Winter in/m April' by Twaalfhoven. Karnatic Lab Records ASIN B000SKKD1I.
- Dusting For Prints 2009 (CD by Esquire Saxofoon Kwartet on which they play Majority Deviation (2004) by Twaalfhoven). Bonte Koe Records (BKR 014).
Research
From 2004 to 2008 Twaalfhoven was a professor in 'PopKunst' at ArtEZ Institute of the Arts in the Netherlands. He performed research on how artists could reach a new and diverse audience without compromising their artistic vision and ideas. During his studies at the Conservatorium van AmsterdamConservatorium van Amsterdam
The Conservatorium van Amsterdam is a Dutch academy of music located in Amsterdam. This school is the music division of the Amsterdamse Hogeschool voor de Kunsten, the city's vocational university of arts...
he performed artistic research on Japanese aesthetics
Japanese aesthetics
The modern study of a Japanese aesthetics in the Western sense only started a little over two hundred years ago. But, by the term Japanese aesthetic, we tend to mean not this modern study, but a set of ancient ideals that include wabi , sabi , and yûgen...
.
Publications
- Column in Kaap Kunst art magazine, no.7, pag.35 [2010]. Utrecht: Kunstfactor.
- Article in Jaarboek Actieve Cultuurparticipatie, pag.85-87 [2010]. Utrecht: Fonds voor Cultuurparticipatie. ISBN 9789490881016
- Book: Art In Society - Twaalfhoven, Merlijn [2009]. Zwolle: De Jonge Hond. ISBN 9789089101228
- On Peace - column for Treaty of Utrecht [2009].
- Article in journal Boekman 72: Art and Audience, pag.40-45 [2007]. Amsterdam: Boekmanstichting.
- Necessity of Desintegration in Kennist Loont 2007-2011, pag.40-43 [2007]. Utrecht: Dutch University Press. ISBN 9789036100717
- Articles in Trans Artists magazine [2005]. Amsterdam: TransArtists.
- Article in journal Boekman 62: Art and Money, pag.74-75 [2005]. Amsterdam: Boekmanstichting.
- Article in daily newspaper TrouwTrouwTrouw is a Dutch daily newspaper. "Trouw" is a Dutch word meaning "fidelity", "loyalty", or "allegiance", and is cognate with the English adjective "true"...
[2004]. Amsterdam: De Persgroep Nederland. - De Veelte - website on Japanese Aesthetics [2003].
Awards and Recognitions
- Audience Award and Jury Award during the :nl:Nederlandse Muziekdagen 2003
- Honourable mention young composers at the International Rostrum of ComposersInternational Rostrum of ComposersThe International Rostrum of Composers is an annual forum organized by the International Music Council that offers broadcasting representatives the opportunity to exchange and publicize pieces of contemporary classical music...
2003 for 'If you reveal...' - 2nd prize at the KBC Aquarius composition contest 2002 for 'If you reveal…'
- 2nd prize at the Jur Naessens Muziekprijs competition 2002
- NOG Stimuleringsprijs (encouragement prize), awarded by Nederlands Ballet Orkest (Dutch ballet orchestra) in 2000 for GUSH.
External links
- Official website of Merlijn Twaalfhoven
- Foundation: laviesurterre.nl
- Projects in the Middle East: arabica.nu
- Vision behind professorship: popkunst.nl
- www.adamsebire.info Cameraman, editor, director. (Made documentary of project 'Echoes across the Divide')
- Biography
- Symphony For All in the NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
: Videolink - Symphony For All in JordanJordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
: Videolink