ARNOLD MARINISSEN

Arnold Marinissen

The percussionist Arnold Marinissen does not shy from exploring and using percussion instruments to the very limits of their capabilities. In so doing, he blurs the borders between different musical cultures, musical genres and even branches of music. He has been a frequent participant in projects of such groups as ...
Full biography

Instruments

componist, percussie

Mentioned in the biography of

2014   Gwyneth Wentink

Biography Arnold Marinissen

The percussionist Arnold Marinissen does not shy from exploring and using percussion instruments to the very limits of their capabilities. In so doing, he blurs the borders between different musical cultures, musical genres and even branches of music. He has been a frequent participant in projects of such groups as the ASKO Ensemble, Nieuw Ensemble, Schönberg Ensemble, Nieuw Sinfonietta Amsterdam, Schlagquartett Köln, Ensemble Musikfabrik (Düsseldorf), Das Neue Ensemble (Hannover) and the string orchestra Ensemble Resonans (Frankfurt). He has also composed music for such ensembles as the VocaalLAB, the ASKO Chamber Choir, Compagnie Bischoff, Prisma String Trio and the Calefax reed quintet.

Played in

Ives Ensemble   percussie
Slagwerk Den Haag   percussie

1980

Arnold Marinissen (November 4, 1966, Middelburg) takes flute lessons from Ferenc Hutyra at the Zeeuwse Muziekschool and later percussion lessons with Jan Anthonisse. For years, he is the drummer in the school band Booster, whose other members are his brother Rob Marinissen (vocals/guitar), Marcel van den Driest (keyboards) and Marco van der Land (bass guitar).

1985 - 1995

Marinissen studies classical percussion with Wim Vos and Luuk Nagtegaal at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. During his student years the conservatory mounts projects focusing on Olivier Messiaen and John Cage in which the composers participate. Getting to know the work of Cage, in particular, greatly influences Marinissen's development. In 1991, the Royal Conservatory awards him the Performing Musician diploma with honours. He becomes a member of the Ives Ensemble and Slagwerkgroep Den Haag, also serving as artistic director of the latter until 1995.

1998 - 2000

Martinissen gives workshops and recitals in Australia and New Zealand. He performs the premieres of compositions by Michel van der Aa (Solo for Percussion), Gerard Brophy (Coil), Michael Friday (Calabash) and Magnus Robb (Sprosser). In 2000 he becomes a percussion instructor at the Fontys Conservatory in Tilburg.

2003

The BVHaast label issues three well-received solo CDs by Marinissen: Traces of cultures, Layered rhythms, and Percussionist songs. In his review of Traces of cultures, Anthony Fiumara describes Marinissen as “a percussionist who can coax a thousand colours from every bar of the vibraphone, who can make a beaten piece of scrap metal shine and the drum skins sing”. (Trouw, March 6, 2003)

2005

Frank Zappa drummer Terry Bozzio and Marinissen are artists-in-residence at the Traces of Rhythm Festival in Eindhoven. Marinissen again gives recitals and master classes in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. In the autumn he is a guest at the Dutch Chamber Music Meeting and the Klap op de Vuurpijl.

2007

Marinissen makes guest appearances at the Asia Pacific Festival and the IAMIC Conference, both in Wellington, New Zealand. He teaches at the University of Otago and gives workshops at the New Zealand School of Music in Wellington and the University of Auckland. He performs with the ensemble Stroma and Duo Flight, and the Ensemble 175 East (Auckland). He is a soloist with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Southern Sinfonia. At the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, he leads the F.C. Jongbloed student ensemble. He also teaches at the Amsterdam Conservatory on several occasions.

2008

Marinissen's solo programme with film, percussion and dance, Beauty unrealized, is premiered at the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ in Amsterdam.

2009

He is artist-in-residence of the Red Sofa series at De Doelen concert hall in Rotterdam, and a jury member/performer at the Tromp Biënnale in Eindhoven. He also programmes and organizes the first World Minimal Music Festival for the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ. Then Marinissen, together with the composer Anthony Fiumara, begins the Lunapark Ensemble, in which he can fully devote himself to minimal music: “Machine-like rhythms, hypnotic somersaults, soothingly ambient – a musical amusement park that plays on all the senses”. (Mark van der Voort in the November Music section of the VPRO-Gids, November 2009)

2010

Marinissen works with the Calefax reed quintet and composes a number of pieces for them.

Photos Arnold Marinissen

Audio/Video Arnold Marinissen