JOHAN DE MEIJ
Johan de Meij
Johan de Meij is an internationally recognized composer and arranger whose oeuvre comprises original compositions, symphonic transcriptions and arrangements of film music and musicals. De Meij is also a trombonist and guest teacher. He has performed as a trombonist with the Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra, the Netherlands Philhamonic Orchestra, the ...
Instruments
componist, trombone
Biography Johan de Meij
Johan de Meij is an internationally recognized composer and arranger whose oeuvre comprises original compositions, symphonic transcriptions and arrangements of film music and musicals. De Meij is also a trombonist and guest teacher. He has performed as a trombonist with the Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra, the Netherlands Philhamonic Orchestra, the Netherlands Wind Ensemble, the Amsterdam Wind Orchestra, and Orkest de Volharding. De Meij established his own publishing company to publish his work.
Played in
Orkest de Volharding
trombone
1953
Johan de Meij is born in Voorburg on November 23.
1968
He begins playing as a trombonist with the Hadriani Hamony Forum in Voorburg. He studies with Anner Bijlsma senior and Pieter van Dijk (trombone and euphonium).
1976 - 1977
He performs his obligatory military service playing in the Trumpet Corps of the Cavalry in Amersfoort. Upon leaving the military, he plays the euphonium in the Amsterdam Police Chapel, conducted by Karel Kokelaar. The arrangements he makes are soon used by other brass and concert bands. Through an acquaintance at a music publisher, he receives his first commissions to make arrangements for brass and concert bands.
1978 - 1984
De Meij attends the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, studying the trombone with Arthur Moore (trombone soloist with The Hague Philharmonic Orchestra) and brass and concert band conducting with Rocus van Yperen (from 1979, with Jan van Ossenbruggen).
1988 - 1989
'Symphony No. 1, The Lord of the Rings' (1987), based on J.R. Tolkien's bestseller, is premiered in Brussels on March 15 by the Groot Harmonieorkest van de Gidsen, conducted by Norbert Nozy. The following year, the piece receives the prestigious Sudler Composition Award in Chicago. It later becomes popular in a CD performance by the Royal Military Band, conducted by Pierre Kuypers.
1999
The cello concerto 'Casanova' wins first prize at the International Competition for Original Band Composition in Corciano, Italy.
2000
'The Red Tower', the second movement of 'The Venetian Collection', for concert band – completed in 2002 – is awarded the Oman International Composition Prize.
2001
The symphony orchestra version of 'The Lord of the Rings' is premiered by the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. More than 20 recordings of this work have appeared on CD in performances by, among others, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra.
2006
Symphony No. 3, 'Planet Earth', is premiered by the North Netherlands Orchestra. The music critic Frits van der Waa writes: “ [...] that is because it all sounds fantastic. From the electronic primeval-soup-with-thunder-storm heard at the fierce void at the beginning, all the way to the heroically pumping, resounding close, which lacks only a screen with closing credits rolling out. The music may move between art and kitsch, but there's no doubting that it's lucid – and De Meij is cunning enough to throw in a few nods to Louis Andriessen's De Staat along the way.” The concert band version of this symphony wins another award at Corsicano, second prize.
2007
In November, De Meij is awarded the Netherlands Wind Music Prize in recognition for his important role in the advancement of Dutch wind music over the years.
2009
On August 1, at the World Music Competition in Kerkrade, De Meij is named a Person of Merit by the Society of Friends of the WMC.
In the discography you will find all recordings that have been released listed chronologically. We restrict ourselves to the title, the type of audio, year of publication or recording, label, list of guest musicians, plus any comments on the issue.
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