DCV 268 – Rieteke Hölscher: Circles around a Broken Dream

Rieteke Hölscher (1969) is a Dutch composer and pianist. She studied piano both classical and jazz at the Hilversum (1992) and composition (2016) at the Utrecht Conservatory.

As a composer, Rieteke Hölscher is always looking for new connections, often combining contemporary music with education or different art forms. In 2018 she created 'Il Cibo per La Musica' for Youth Orchestra Bloembollenstreek, and in 2019 the project 'Disturbing Light', a composition for tape, live music and art video, performed by her own ensemble Cross Meeting. She also wrote 'Flarden' for sixteen bassoonists, which premiered in October 2021 - performed by a mix of (advanced) amateurs, conservatory students and professionals - during the international bassoon festival Bassoons for Future in Maastricht.
Her work is performed at home and abroad by renowned musicians such as the Groot Omroepkoor; the Utrecht Student Cantorij; Marcel Worms and Bram van Sambeek.

In her compositions Hölscher aims to achieve an unique sound with great accessibility, with the ideal to bridge the gap between music history, contemporary music and the audience. Her colorful music is best described as straight and emotional with lyrical melodic lines, attention for timbre and an original use of extended techniques. Rieteke has also a strong commitment to both audience and performers without making creative concessions.

Rieteke Hölscher (1969) studied piano classical music and jazz / pop at the conservatory of the Amsterdamse Hogeschool voor de Kunsten (1987-1992) with Frans van Dalen and Tine Schneider, also following masterclasses with Fania Chapiro, Frederic Meinders and Hans Broekman.

Rieteke Hölscher Plays her own piano piece at the Dag van de Componist.

Performance: “de emotionele egel en andere natuurfenomenen”

Female choir L’EF with conductor Ellen Verburgt will perform the piece Travel by Rieteke Hölscher. 

The ERC church choir sings Four folk songs by Gustav Holst, Trois Chansons by Debussy, and a Yiddish lullaby, as well as a song collection by Palestrina.

“Chorus of Invisible Angels” is a composition that reflects on the theme of exile from paradise, based on the biblical story in the book of Genesis.

Leonard Guillaume Samama komt op 25 maart ter wereld in een muzikale joodse familie in Apeldoorn. Zijn moeder, Ans Samama-Polak, is een amateurcelliste en als oefentherapeut Mensendieck auteur van het boek 'Musiceren zonder pijn'. Zijn vader Sylvio is oprichter van de platenmaatschappij Iramac en een vooraanstaand impresario. De jonge Leo leert dwarsfluit spelen en begint in zijn tienerjaren al te componeren. Tijdens zijn studie Muziekwetenschap aan de Universiteit Utrecht (1970-1977) studeert hij enige jaren compositie bij Rudolf Escher. In 1975 schrijft hij met 'Tombeau concertant pour Frank Martin' voor twee violen en strijkorkest, zijn officiële opus 1. Met steun van een Rotarybeurs voltooit hij zijn studie aan de Universiteit van California in Los Angeles. Al tijdens deze studie geeft hij lezingen over de Nederlandse muziek van de twintigste eeuw.

Jakub Polaczyk (born in 1983 in Poland) is a Polish-American composer, pianist, and pedagogue interested in surreal and synthetic art. He graduated from the Penderecki Music Academy, Jagiellonian University and Carnegie Mellon University. He studied with: Krzysztof Penderecki, Marcel Chyrzyński, Marek Chołoniewski, Reza Vali, Jan van Landeghem.

Ville Raasakka’s works are performed by the Klangforum Wien (Vienna), the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, der/gelbe/klang (Munich), Mise-en Ensemble (New York), Dal Niente (Chicago), Ensemble Lemniscate (Basel) and the Finnish Baroque Orchestra at the most esteemed festivals such as Eclat (Stuttgart), June in Buffalo (Buffalo), Tage der Neuen Musik Bamberg (Bamberg), Festival Archipel (Geneva) and […]

Luc Brewaeys was born in 1959 in Mortsel (Belgium). He studied composition with André LAPORTE in Brussels, with Franco DONATONI in Siena (Italy) and with Brian FERNEYHOUGH in Darmstadt (Germany). From 1980 to 84 he had regular contacts with Iannis XENAKIS in Paris. He is also conductor, pianist and works since 1985 as recording producer at the VRT (Flemish Radio & Television).