JOEP FRANSSENS

Joep Franssens

Joep Franssens wants in his spiritually tinted music to bridge the gap between the rational and irrational, the reasoned and intuitive and the mind and the heart. He strives to achieve a universal, understandable musical language – music filled with sonorous, dramatic gestures, a clear structure, and with a direct, ...
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Biography Joep Franssens

Joep Franssens wants in his spiritually tinted music to bridge the gap between the rational and irrational, the reasoned and intuitive and the mind and the heart. He strives to achieve a universal, understandable musical language – music filled with sonorous, dramatic gestures, a clear structure, and with a direct, physical impact. Franssens draws inspiration from the sound of pop music, the intense precision of Bach and Steve Reich, and the mysticism of the early György Ligeti or early polyphony. He seeks in his music the human measure and a deep desire for spiritual harmony. “My music expresses an intense feeling, a sacred moment in which each person can find his own meaning, without historical ballast,” Franssens said in the Brabants Dagblad in 2009.

1975

Joep Franssens (Groningen, 1955) studies composition with Louis Andriessen at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague and continues his studies in 1982 with Klaas de Vries at the Rotterdam Conservatory. Upon completing his studies in 1988, he is awarded the Composition Prize.

Klaas de Vries Louis Andriessen

1998

Donemus puts a CD on the market with Franssens' key works 'Echo’s', for orchestra (1983), 'Phasing', for women's choir and orchestra (1985) and 'Sanctus' (1996) for orchestra.

1999

At the request of the New Spirituality Festival,Joep Franssens composes 'Magnificat', for soprano, choir and orchestra, which is premiered in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw.

2000 - 2001

The Netherlands Chamber Choir, conducted by Tõnu Kaljuste, performs music by Franssens in Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and elsewhere, and the following year in the United States.

Nederlands Kamerkoor

2002

The composers John Borstlap, Jeff Hamburg and Joep Franssens found Composer Group Amsterdam. The group propagates tonal contemporary music and agitates against the evaluation criteria of the Fund for the Creation of Music. The compositions 'Roaring Rotterdam' (1977) and 'Winter Child' (1996) are performed at the Rotterdam Music Festival in October. The pianist Ralph van Raat and the Amstel Quartet perform music by Franssens while touring Japan.

Amstel Quartet Jeff Hamburg John Borstlap Ralph van Raat

2003

The first movement of 'Harmony of the Spheres' (1994-2001) is selected for the ISCM Music Days in Maribor, Slovenia, and is performed by the BBC Singers, conducted by Stephen Betteridge.

2004

Franssens is invited to the International Sacharov Festival in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, where his compositions 'Sanctus' (1996), for orchestra, and 'Imitation of Spring' (2001-2004), for piano, are performed.

2006

For the 40th anniversay of De Doelen concert hall in Rotterdam, Joep Franssens composes 'Bridge of Dawn', for orchestra.

2008 - 2009

The orchestral piece 'Grace' is premiered during the Saturday Matinee Series with soprano Yvette Bonner and the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vasily Petrenko. It was commissioned by the NPS, and the broadcaster devotes a TV documentary to its creation.

2010

David Andrew Hobson’s monograph 'Joep Franssens’ Harmony of the Spheres; a conductor's analysis' is published by the Louisiana State University.

Photos Joep Franssens

Audio/Video Joep Franssens