Jan 8, 2018
It was my pleasure to speak with Dutch composer Johan De Meij about his career, hear his thoughts about writing music, and of course chat about his landmark "Lord of the Rings" Symphony.
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Biography:
Dutch composer and conductor Johan de Meij (Voorburg, 1953)
received his musical training at the Royal Conservatory of Music in
The Hague, where he studied trombone and conducting. His
award-winning oeuvre of original compositions, symphonic
transcriptions and film score arrangements has garnered him
international acclaim and have become permanent fixtures in the
repertoire of renowned ensembles throughout the world. His Symphony
No. 1 The Lord of the Rings was awarded the prestigious Sudler
Composition Prize and has been recorded by myriad ensembles
including The London Symphony Orchestra, The North Netherlands
Orchestra, The Nagoya Philharmonic and The Amsterdam Wind
Orchestra. His Symphony No. 2 The Big Apple, Symphony No. 3 Planet
Earth, Symphony No. 4 Sinfonie der Lieder as well as his solo
concertos, T-Bone Concerto (trombone), UFO Concerto (euphonium) and
Casanova (cello) have been enthusiastically received at many of the
world’s finest venues.
Before devoting his time exclusively to composing and conducting,
Johan de Meij enjoyed a successful professional career as a
trombone and euphonium player, performing with major orchestras and
ensembles in The Netherlands. He is in high demand as a guest
conductor and lecturer, frequently invited to speak about and
perform his own works. He currently maintains posts with both the
New York Wind Symphony and the Kyushu Wind Orchestra in Fukuoka,
Japan as their principal guest conductor. He was also appointed
regular guest conductor of the Simón Bolívar Youth Wind Orchestra
in Caracas, Venezuela – part of the celebrated Venezuelan
educational system El Sistema. He is founder and CEO of his own
publishing company Amstel Music, established in 1989.
When not traveling, Johan divides his time between his Hudson
Valley home and Manhattan apartment with his wife and muse Dyan,
cats Lenny & Tosca and dog Lucy