Johanna Bordewijk-Roepman was born on August 4, 1892 in Rotterdam. She died on October 8, 1971 in The Hague.
She studied English. Although she followed orchestration with Eduard Flipse as of 1937, she was a self-taught composer, not binding to any particular tradition or school. Her husband, Ferdinand Bordewijk, wrote the libretto for her opera Rotonde (1941). She received a prize from the government for her Pianosonate (1943). Numerous works were commissioned by the government, among others Vijf tempelzangen and Impromptu for piano (1960). At the request of the Royal Singers Union of the Netherlands on the occasion of the 50th jubilee of Queen Wilhelmina, she composed Moeder des Vaderlands. She composed works for orchestra, choir and orchestra, piano, chamber music and songs; also for choral works for male voices choir, including a commission from the Maastreechter Staar De heilige cirkel (1950) and Wederopbouw (1954) and work at the request of Mayor Kolfschoten, Eindhoven and for the Rotterdam Carillon Triptiek (1951).