Louis Andriessen, composer

Birthplace: Utrecht, Netherlands, 1939

Musical family: Son of the composer and organist Hendrik Andriessen (1892–1981), nephew of the composer and pianist Willem Andriessen (1887–1964) and brother of the composer Jurriaan Andriessen (1925–1996)

Education: He studied composition with his father from 1953–57, and with Kees van Baaren at the Royal Conservatory in Den Haag from 1957–62, where he graduated with a first prize. Also studied composition privately with Luciano Berio in Milan and Berlin from 1962–64 and assisted him with the scoring of Passaggio.

Honors include: The selected work at the UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers in Paris (1977, for De Staat), the Matthijs Vermeulen Prijs (1977, for De Staat; 1992, for De Materie), the 3M Music Award (1993), and the Edison Award (1993, for the Nonesuch recording of De Tijd).

Primary areas of composition: stage, orchestral, chamber, vocal, and piano works

Some of his major works:  Hoketus (1977) for 2 groups of five instruments, De Stiil (1985) for 4 women's voices, female speaker and large ensemble, and Writing to Vermeer (1997–98) opera in six scenes in collaboration with Peter Greenaway

Master Chorale concerts

Haydn & Andriessen
Sunday, November 18, 2007