THE LIVING COMPOSERS PROJECT  

Samuel Vriezen

(b. 1973, Groningen).

Dutch composer of mostly chamber, vocal and piano works that have been performed in Europe and elsewhere; he is also active as a pianist.

Mr. Vriezen began private lessons in piano at age eight in Haarlem. He initially studied mathematics, but then studied composition with Louis Andriessen, Clarence Albertson Barlow, Martijn Padding, and Diderik Wagenaar at the Koninklijk Conservatorium in Den Haag from 1994–2000. He also attended courses in computational linguistics and formal models of musical perception with Remko Scha at the Universiteit van Amsterdam.

As a pianist, his specialty is contemporary music, including works by Tom Johnson.

He is also active in other positions. He co-organised with Emily Doolittle, Cynthie van Eijden, Dante Oei, Cléo Palacio-Quintin, and Martijn Voorvelt the series for contemporary music Concerten Tot en Met in Amsterdam from 1997–2004. He has served as director of the Stichting Huygens–Fokker for microtonal music in Amsterdam since 2005. In addition, his poems have appeared in the book 4 Zinnen (2008, De Wereldbibliotheek), the chapbook 1512 (2012) and in literary reviews in Belgium and the Netherlands. He he has curated experimental literary events for the organisation Perdu in Amsterdam since 2004.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Website: http://sqv.home.xs4all.nl/index.html

COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS

ORCHESTRAL:

Local Orchestra, any large collection of instruments occupying a large performance space, 2008

CHAMBER MUSIC:

Vertellingen, flute, oboe, bass clarinet, piano, harmonium, vibraphone, 1996

Uit het Strijkkwartet, string quartet, 1998–2000

Toccata II, flute, 2001

Skylger Trio, violin, cello, piano, 2001

Toccata III, 2 glockenspiels, 2001

Seizoenen, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, percussion, 2002

Toccata IV, 'The Weather Riots', any 2 or more high instruments, 2002

The Peace Talks, any improvisational ensemble in 2 groups, any exhibition, 2002

Toccata V, 'Krise', variable ensemble (any 3–11 players from: flute, oboe, bass clarinet, trumpet, trombone, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, piano), 2002

A Ritual, flute, violin, piano, 2002 (section of Five Simultaneous One-Tone Pieces, a collaboration with Cynthie van Eijden, James Fulkerson, Dante Oei, Martijn Voorvelt; may be performed separately)

Terug!, flute, 3 saxophones, French horn, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, double bass, piano, 2003

Two Suites, violin, piano, 2004 (each suite may be performed separately: The Twines Suite; The Pieces Suite)

Panoramic Variations, 2 flutes (both + alto flute, any one + piccolo), clarinet, bass clarinet, 2 trombones, 2004

Eindig Stuk, electric guitar, string quartet, 2004

Between Chords, string quartet, 2006

Worlds and Harmony, 12 players, 2008

Ensemble, any 4 or more players, 2008

An Opening, string quartet, 2009

Crawling, any number of players, 2010

Mixed Economy, 2 saxophones, trombone, electric guitar, piano, percussion, 2010

4 Weeks/16 Minutes, 4 players (with recording devices, playback devices), 2011

Hoe de oevers over de sloepen treden/en elk een mond vol kersenpitten, 4–8 whistlers/any 4–8 winds, 2011

Deux Modèles Simples, any 2 or more players, PechaKucha (presentation with slides), 2011 (also version for any 3 or more players, 2011)

Cycle 2011, 2011 (its ten sections may be performed separately: January Phrases, any 3 players; February Pieces, any 3 players; March Concertos, any 2 or more players; April Variations, melodica, flute, cello; May Melody, any 3 players; June Operas, any 3 players; July Variations, any ensemble; Two September Thoughts on the August Silence, any 3 players; October Duos, any 2 or more players; Ricercare, any 3 or more players)

Outward Motion with Optional Solos, any large ensemble, 2012

Giving, any large number of winds, 2012

Half-Open Forms, any ensemble, 2012

Büchertausch (game), audience (each member brings a book), 2014

CHORAL:

Ideals, any 5–8 voices, 2013

This is a Voice, any 36 or more voices, 2014

VOCAL:

Lamento (text by Remco Campert), 3 baritones, cello, 1997

Motet (any texts in the same language, independently chosen by each speaker), any 3 speakers, 2004

takken molenwater/kastanje jo/hakke tonen/hakke tonen/uiterton/molen in de zon (text by F. van Dixhoorn), any speaker, piano, vibraphone, 2006

Grind (poem), any 4 speakers, 2007

Situation Hockets, any 3 speakers, 2007

De Voorbode van iets Groots (text by Dirk van Bastelaere), any speaker, fixed media, 2008

Vier Lezers, any 4 speakers (with 4 books, 4 MP3-players), 2008

Tien Lezers, any 10 speakers (with 10 books, 10 MP3-players), 2008

Sept Germes Cristallins (text by Paul Valéry), voice, any 3 high instruments, 2008

Disaster Songs (text by Rob Halpern), voice, big band, 2012

Vincent, Homesick for the Land of Pictures (text by Peter Gizzi), voice, bass clarinet, viola, electronic keyboard, 2013

Essay for Voice and Five Books, soprano (with 5 books recommended by friends), 2013

Essay for Four Voices and Twelve Books, any 4 speakers (each with three books), 2013

PIANO:

Begin, 1995

Six Piano Pieces in a Landscape, 1999

Toccata I, 2000

Possible World I, 2003

Possible World II, 2003

Tattoo-Mirror, 10 pianos, animation (by Serge Onnen), 2003

Possible World III, 2003

Possible World IV, 2003

Possible World V, 1–4 pianos, 2003

Twee Stille, 2005

20 Worlds, 2 pianos, 2005

Within Fourths/Within Fifths, 2006

Teeder Kristal, 2009

ORGAN:

Crawling for Organs, 4 organs, 2011

C31* Orbits, Fokker 31-tone organ, 2013

ELECTROACOUSTIC:

Rachmaninov Tableau, fixed media, 2003 (collaboration with Dante Oei)

Toccata VI, fixed media, 2003

ARRANGEMENT:

Frygische Fantasie (Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck), string quartet, 2006

DISCOGRAPHY (as composer)

Skylger Trio. Winter Trio (Aliamusica: AMR-CP-04001, 2004)

DISCOGRAPHY (as performer)

Symmetries (Tom Johnson). Dante Oei, Samuel Vriezen, pianos (Karnatic Lab Records: KLR 010, 2006)

The Chord Catalogue (Tom Johnson); Within Fourths/Within Fifths. (Edition Wandelweiser Records: EWR 1304, 2013)