General
Willem Boogman was born in 1955 and grew up near the IJssel river (Netherlands).
Education
Willem Boogman studied Philosophy at the University of Utrecht (1974-1975). He started study in composition at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague (Peter Schat, Louis Andriessen) and completed it with Ton de Leeuw at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam in 1983.
Career
Willem was from 1989 to 1999 member of the Rudolf Escher Committee.
Willem Boogman participated in the Asko Ensemble’s Workshop Project from 1980 to 1984, a collaboration between composers and instrumentalists. Through this project, he acquired knowledge of music in its broadest range.
From 1989 to1999 Willem was a member of the Rudolf Escher Committee.
Since 2003 he is artistic director of the Asko Kamerkoor (Asko Chamber Choir).
As a participating composer in Compose4You Willem wrote ‘Passacaglia for flute’ commissioned by an able amateur flutist.
Willem has also written several articles, for example on Escher’s choral music, on his own works ‘Genietingen’ and ‘La disciplina dei sentimenti’, and on modernism in music.
Willem is regularly invited to give lectures on various subjects related to music and composing.
Compositions
For his compositions Willem Boogman searches into the fundamentals of music. He finds inspiration in Stockhausen’s theoretical work and Varèse’s music.
Boogman composes from ideas that are in direct relation with the current life. The sound of the stars (‘Sternenrest‘), the hours of a day (‘Day Daily – The Hours’), dance (‘Raving‘), the eternal joy of love (‘Canto gioiosamente / Liefde een woning‘).
Recently he started a series of compositions (‘modulationes’) in which he transforms existing music into another musical reality, for example ‘Distant Voices’ on riffs of popmusic, ’Intermezzi’ and ‘Ihr Tore’ both on pieces by Bach.
Willem composes orchestral works (Radio Filharmonisch Orkest), chamber music (Asko Ensemble, Slagwerkgroep Den Haag, Spectra Ensemble), and choral music (Nederlands Kamerkoor, Asko kamerkoor). He also writes for small ensembles, soloists (the series ‘Genietingen’) and for theatre (Toneelgroep Warns) as well as music theatre (in collaboration with director Sandra Macrander).
The Radio Filharmonisch Orkest (Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra) conducted by Reinbert de Leeuw premiered ‘Raving’ for orchestra and Electronic Dance Pulse, during the ZaterdagMatinee in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. The performance was broadcast by the Dutch Radio.
His three most recent works include ‘Genieting VI’ (for piccolo solo), ‘Nous le chant III’, a semi-scenic concert for mixed choir, accordion, organ and samples and ‘Distant Voices’ (for nine musicians).
These works are all published by Donemus, in 2015-2016.