Role

:

Composer

Birth

:

1951

Genre

:

Avant-Garde

 

 

Chamber

 

 

Choral

 

 

Keyboard

 

Jacob Ter Veldhuis, also known as Jacob TV, is a Dutch composer born on May 14, 1951, in Enschede, Netherlands. He is known for his unique style of composition that blends classical music with pop culture, jazz, and rock music. Ter Veldhuis grew up in a musical family, and his father was a conductor and composer. He started playing the piano at a young age and later learned to play the saxophone. Ter Veldhuis studied composition at the Amsterdam Conservatory with Ton de Leeuw and Louis Andriessen. He also studied electronic music at the Institute of Sonology in Utrecht. In the 1980s, he started experimenting with tape loops and sampling, which became a signature element of his music. Ter Veldhuis's breakthrough came in 1993 with his composition "Grab It!" for saxophone and tape. The piece features a recording of a speech by a female African-American street vendor in New York City, which Ter Veldhuis sampled and manipulated to create a rhythmic and melodic accompaniment for the saxophone. "Grab It!" became an instant hit and established Ter Veldhuis as a leading figure in the Dutch contemporary music scene. Ter Veldhuis's music is characterized by its accessibility and its use of popular culture references. He often incorporates recordings of speeches, interviews, and news broadcasts into his compositions, creating a dialogue between the music and the spoken word. His music is also known for its rhythmic complexity and its use of repetition and loops. In addition to "Grab It!", Ter Veldhuis has composed numerous other works for saxophone, including "Lipstick" (1994), "Jesus Is Coming" (1996), and "May This Bliss Never End" (2005). He has also written works for other instruments, such as "The Body of Your Dreams" (2001) for cello and tape and "The Garden of Love" (2008) for choir and electronics. One of Ter Veldhuis's most famous works is "The News" (2006) for soprano saxophone and video. The piece features a collage of news broadcasts from around the world, which Ter Veldhuis sampled and manipulated to create a musical accompaniment for the saxophone. The video projection shows the news anchors and reporters speaking, while the saxophone plays a virtuosic and expressive melody. "The News" has been performed by saxophonists all over the world and has become a staple of the contemporary saxophone repertoire. Ter Veldhuis's music has been performed by many leading ensembles and soloists, including the Kronos Quartet, the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, and saxophonist Arno Bornkamp. He has received numerous awards and honors for his work, including the Matthijs Vermeulen Prize in 1999 and the Johan Wagenaar Prize in 2000. In addition to his work as a composer, Ter Veldhuis is also a professor of composition at the ArtEZ Conservatory in Enschede. He has mentored many young composers and has been a strong advocate for contemporary music in the Netherlands and beyond. In conclusion, Jacob Ter Veldhuis is a pioneering composer who has pushed the boundaries of contemporary music with his innovative use of sampling and popular culture references. His music is characterized by its accessibility, rhythmic complexity, and expressive melodies. Ter Veldhuis's works for saxophone, in particular, have become staples of the contemporary saxophone repertoire and have inspired a new generation of saxophonists.

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