Biography

The composer Jan Rokus van Roosendael was born on May 6, 1960 in Zwijndrecht. He passed away on February 17, 2005 in Oostzaam. Van Roosendael's real name was Jan Rokus de Groot, but he took his Grandparents name in order to avoid confusion with his brother Rokus de Groot who is also a composer. He was married to the composer Sinta Wullur. For a long time he took his inspiration from Asiatic music. In this he was a kindred spirit to Ton de Leeuw. This influence was heard in among others the compositions Tala and Sringhara. In later years his music was characterized by a religious vein, such as Psalm 139 which falls back on early polyphonic techniques. This work was composed for the Nederlands Kamerkoor.

EDUCATION

After high school Jan Rokus van Roosendael followed drawing lessons at the Art Academy. In 1979 he was admitted to the Sweelinck Conservatorium majoring in composition with Robert Heppener and Geert van Keulen. In1986 he graduated. Apart from his conservatory studies he followed also musicology at the University of Amsterdam and orchestration with Geert van Keulen. In 1987 he followed summer course for young composers, organized by the ISCM in Poland, with Wlodzimierz Kotonski and Klaus Huber.

PRIZES

In 1989 he received from the Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst the Music Incentive Prize. The Jury report said: "His oeuvre is characterized by a strikingly original way of writing which is averse to fashionable tendencies". With Charitas (1987) Van Roosendael succeeded in "making a work for liturgical use in which the lethargic tone usual for such works is absent".

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