Michel van der Aa b. 1970

Michel van der Aa is one of the most outstanding Dutch composers of his generation * has attracted attention above all for his imaginative music theatre works * music has expressive power and an idiomatic sense for the stage, combining sounds and scenic images in a play of changing perspectives * after training as music recording engineer at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, studied composition with Diderik Wagenaar, Gilius van Bergeijk and Louis Andriessen * turned from constructivism of the ‘Hague school’ to a personal, more poetic and transparent style * completed a course in film directing at the New York Film Academy, and collaborated with film makers Peter Greenaway and Hal Hartley, and with choreographers including Philippe Blanchard * is programmed at leading international festivals for contemporary music in London, Huddersfield, Berlin, Donaueschingen, Paris, Warsaw, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Brussels, Venice, Oslo, Budapest, Moscow and Zagreb * works played by renowned artists including conductors Peter Eötvös, Reinbert de Leeuw, Etienne Siebens, Ed Spanjaard, Roland Kluttig and ensembles like the Schönberg and Asko Ensemble, das Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra, Hilversum Radio Philharmonic, SWR Symphony Orchestra, Avanti!, musikFabrik and the Netherlands Opera * awarded the prestigious International Gaudeamus Prize 1999, the Vermeulen Prize 2004 (for his chamber opera One) and a Grant by the Siemens Foundation 2005 * recordings on the Col Legno, Composer’s Voice, BVHaast, X-OR and VPRO Eigenwijs labels