In Memoriam Maarten van Norden (1955-2024), he was a Dutch Jazz musician (tenor saxophone & clarinet) and composer. He studied classical clarinet with Jan Koene, Jazz saxophone with Harvey Weinapple and composition with Louis Andriessen at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague (the Netherlands). He began his musical career in the mid-1970s in the Willem Breuker collective. In addition, he played in several other jazz ensembles, among others of Willem van Manen, and he had his own jazzrockband Future Shock for 12 years.
In 1987, he decided to fully commit himself to composing and he studied with Jacob Druckman and Allen Forte at Yale University (New Haven, US). In 2003, he completed his study “Contemporary Music through Non Western Techniques” at the Conservatoire of Amsterdam (the Netherlands). After returning to the Netherlands, he composed dozens of works for orchestras and ensembles such as the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Radio Chamber Orchestra (VARA-Matinee), Netherlands Wind Ensemble, Asko-Schönberg Ensemble, Koor Nieuwe Muziek, Osiris Trio, Matangi Quartet, Slagwerkgroep Den Haag (now HIIIT) and the Amstel Saxophone quartet, as well as soundtracks. His work has been performed all over the world. He taught at the Utrecht Conservatoire and wrote articles for the Journal of Music Theory.
Contributing to this broadcast is Martijn Padding (Amsterdam, 1956) He studied composition with Louis Andriessen and musicology at Utrecht University. He is currently a lecturer and head of the composition department at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. His oeuvre ranges from works for a solo instrument to large-scale compositions for orchestra and musical theatre. In 2009 he won the Unesco prize (international rostrum of composers), in 2011 he was awarded the Edison Classical for the Asko|Schönberg CD recording of his ‘Three Concerti’ and in 2016 he was awarded the Johan Wagenaar award for his entire oeuvre. Martijn Padding was a colleague and friend of Maarten van Norden.
Playlist:
1. Cookiegirl (1989).
Orchestra de Volharding.
2. Movement for Band (2006).
Combustion Chamber.
3. Piano in Pluriform (2007).
Marije van Stralen & Jeroen Bal, piano.
4. Prelude (2023).
Gerard Bouwhuis, piano (live recording).
