Gerard Beljon (born 16 April 1952, in

Utrecht Utrecht ( ; ; ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The ...

) is a musician and composer from the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

, specialising in chamber and choral music with contemporary resonances. His works have been performed in Austria, Australia, Germany, Netherlands, Russia and the United States.

Education

Beljon studied both

lute A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck (music), neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted. More specifically, the term "lu ...

and

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

at the

Utrechts Conservatorium The Utrechts Conservatorium is a Conservatory of Music in Utrecht, Netherlands and part of the '' Utrecht School of the Arts'' (HKU). The conservatory opened in 1875 and is one of the eldest professional musical education institutes of the Neth ...

and the

Royal Conservatory of The Hague The Royal Conservatoire (, KC) is a conservatoire in The Hague, providing higher education in music and dance. The conservatoire was founded by King William I in 1826, making it the oldest conservatoire in the Netherlands. Since September 2021, t ...

. He studied composition under

Carlos Michans Carlos may refer to: Places ;Canada * Carlos, Alberta, a locality ;United States * Carlos, Indiana, an unincorporated community * Carlos, Maryland, a place in Allegany County * Carlos, Minnesota, a small city * Carlos, West Virginia ;Elsewhere ...

and Daan Manneke.

Career

Beljon's musical career has been primarily devoted to composition, which he studied with Daan Manneke at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam. According to

Donemus Donemus (compounded from Documentatiecentrum nederlandse muziek) is the Dutch institute dealing with the documentation of contemporary music composed in the Netherlands. Originally a publisher of scores, between 1960 and 2000 Donemus also publish ...

, the

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

institute dealing with the documentation of

contemporary music Contemporary music is whatever music is produced at the current time. Specifically, it could refer to: Genres or audiences * Adult contemporary music * British contemporary R&B * Christian adult contemporary * Christian contemporary hit radio * Con ...

composed in the Netherlands, ''Clear and comprehensible forms and structures are an important basis for his work which combines innovative compositional and instrumental techniques that are characteristic of the notated music of the twentieth century, with influences from the world of pop music among others.'' He has written compositions for soloists and ensembles such as the

Orkest de Volharding Orkest de Volharding (perseverance orchestra) is a Dutch music ensemble, founded in 1972 by Louis Andriessen and saxophonist Willem Breuker Willem Breuker (4 November 1944 – 23 July 2010) was a Dutch bandleader, composer, arranger, saxophonis ...

, the Amsterdam Quintet, The Amstel Saxophone Quartet, Nederlands Kamerkoor (Dutch Chamber Choir), the

Nieuw Ensemble The Nieuw Ensemble (; English: New Ensemble) was a Dutch musical ensemble. Having worked in the field of new music for almost four decades, it had to came to a halt at the end of 2019. The ensemble was founded in 1980 in Amsterdam and it had a ...

, pianist

Ralph van Raat Ralph van Raat (born 1978) is a Dutch classical pianist. Biography and career Pianist and musicologist Ralph van Raat appears as a recitalist in Europe, Asia, Australia and the United States. Augmenting traditional repertoire, he takes special ...

, and the Calefax Rietkwintet. His works have been performed in Austria, Australia, Germany, Netherlands, Russia, and the United States.

Theatre

Beljon worked as a composer on several theatre productions and wrote the children's opera ''Hansel and Gretel'' (2001).

Awards

* ''Aroma'' (1997) guitar and mandolin. This was awarded first prize for composition for contemporary music in Vienna in 2003.

Works

* ''Beat'' for piano * ''Heksenmuziek (Witch Music)'' (scene from ''Hansel and Gretel).'' * ''Herschepping'' (Re-creation), for Chamber Choir and

Harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...

; based on poem ''Herschepping'' from

Gerrit Achterberg Gerrit Achterberg (20 May 1905 – 17 January 1962) was a Dutch poet. His early poetry concerned a desire to be united with a beloved in death. Achterberg was born in Nederlangbroek in the Netherlands as the third son of a family of eight ch ...

* ''Aroma'' (1997) for guitar and mandolin. * ''Beat'' (2003) for Piano Solo * ''Nachtzien'' (''Night show'') (2003) Nederlands Kamerkoor in

Beurs van Berlage The Beurs van Berlage (literally ''Berlage's stock market'') is a building on the Damrak, in the centre of Amsterdam. It was designed as a commodity exchange by architect Hendrik Petrus Berlage and constructed between 1896 and 1903. It inf ...

in Amsterdam, 17 Dec 2003 * ''De tuin sneeuwt langzaam vol'' (''The garden slowly fills with snow'') (2003) Nederlands Kamerkoor in the

in Amsterdam, 17 Dec 2003 * ''Morgen'' (2004) for Soprano, Ensemble & Electronics * ''The Cry of the Peacocks,'' 2005, for chamber choir. Based on a poem by

Wallace Stevens Wallace Stevens (October 2, 1879 – August 2, 1955) was an American modernist poet. He was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, educated at Harvard and then New York Law School, and spent most of his life working as an executive for an insurance compa ...

(1879-1955). Written for the Nederlands Kamerkoor, first performance in Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ in December 2005; latest performance by the Nederlands Studenten Kamerkoor in the

Amsterdam Concertgebouw The Royal Concertgebouw (, ) is a concert hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch term "concertgebouw" translates into English as "concert building". Its superb Architectural acoustics, acoustics place it among the finest concert halls in the ...

on 5 Mar 2016. * ''Didgeridoo'' 2007

Chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of Musical instrument, instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a Great chamber, palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music ...

for organ and saxophone quartet. * ''Sun'' (2007), first performed by the Limburgs Symfonie Orkest (Limburg Symphony Orchestra) at the

Muziekcentrum Vredenburg Muziekcentrum Vredenburg was a music venue in Utrecht, Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the ...

in Utrecht on 26 Mar 2007.

References

External links

''Beat'' played by the Dutch pianist Ralph van Raat.''Lamentation'' (2013), performed in St. Klara church, Nurnberg by the dutch Slotkoor, conducted by Fokko Oldenhuis.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beljoen, Gerard 1952 births Living people Dutch male classical composers Dutch classical composers Musicians from Utrecht (city) Conservatorium van Amsterdam alumni Royal Conservatory of The Hague alumni Utrecht School of the Arts alumni