Tera de Marez Oyens was born on August 5, 1932 and died on August 29, 1996.
She graduated from the Amsterdam Conservatory at the age of 20. Her main subject was piano, which she studied with Jan Odé. Her other subjects included the cembalo, violin and conducting. She proceeded to study composition and orchestration with Hans Henkemans, completed a Gehrels course and studied electronic music with Gottfried Koenig at the Institute of Sonology (University of Utrecht).
Tera de Marez Oyens performed as a concert pianist, led children and adult groups in music improvisation, conducted amateur and professional choirs and orchestras, produced music program series for radio, and has lectured and written on music education. She lectured on group improvisation and introduction to the modern sound idiom at international forums and numerous conservatories and universities. She was teacher at the Academie voor Expressie (Academy for Expression), the University of Utrecht, and the Wiener Sommer Seminar. From 1978 to 1988 she was teacher of modern music and composition at the Conservatory of Zwolle. In 1989 she was composer in residence at the Georgia State University (Atlanta).
Next to these activities Tera de Marez Oyens was first and foremost a composer, with well over 200 works to her credit. They include full orchestra, chamber and electronic music, church and choral music as well as children’s operas. Many of her compositions were commissioned by the Dutch Government and German and Dutch broadcasting networks.In 1988 she wrote Symmetrical memories for the International Cello Competition in Scheveningen (The Netherlands).
Tera de Marez Oyens has won several prizes in The Netherlands and abroad. In 1989 she was awarded the first prize in a competition for composers in Dublin.