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Matijs de Roo

Composer

 

Matijs de Roo was born on January 5th 1977 in Leidschendam, Holland. He studied composition with David Rowland and classical piano with Benno Pierwijer and Cristo Illiev at the conservatory of Enschede. In 2002 he graduated as a pianist and continued his composition lessons at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague with Diderik Wagenaar and Martijn Padding. 

After graduating in The Hague he did the masters course with Klaas de Vries at the conservatory of Rotterdam. At his final exam in 2005 he graduated Cum Laude and received a “special price for composition”. During his studies he took part in several composition courses and masterclasses, two in Arnhem with James Fulkerson, three in Dartington (GB) with Darryl Runswick, Jo Kondo and Pavel Novak, and at “Voix Nouvelles-Royaumont” (FR) with Brian Ferneyhough, Brice Pauset and Stefano Gervasoni. At the Voix Nouvelles festival he was selected to study in Canada with the French composer Pascal Dusapin.For the past few years he has been collaborating with recorder player Erik Bosgraaf for whom he composed a large number of works. 

Erik Bosgraaf won the “de Nederlandse muziekprijs” in 2011. For this special occasion de Roo composed “Im grossen Schweigen”, a double concerto for recorder, violin and orchestra performed by Erik Bosgraaf, Gordan Nikolic and het Nederlands Kamerorkest.“Im grossen Schweigen” has been selected for the “BUMA-Toonzettersprijs 2012” and has been performed during the Holland Festival by the Residentie Orchestra. Director: Reinbert de Leeuw, recorder: Erik Bosgraaf, violin: Simone Lamsma. His music has been performed in Holland, Germany, France, England, Hungary, Czech Republic, Russia, Canada, the USA and Australia by ensembles and orchestras such as Het Nederlands Kamer Orkest, Holland Symfonia, Le Quator Diotima, Nieuw Ensemble, Asko Ensemble, The New Music Players, Doelen Ensemble, Residentie Orchestra, The Ensemble Modern de Montreal, duo Post/Mulder, duo Bosgraaf/Elias and Call Arts Ensemble. In 2000 de Roo won the NOG- jonge componisten prijs for his orchestral work Lines concerning the unknown soldier performed by the Dutch Ballet Orchestra in Amsterdam.