Gertjan (1971) studied music therapy at the Hogeschool Arnhem Nijmegen were he discovered his passion for composing music. He went to study composition in Enschede with David Rowland and classical piano with Fred Oldenburg. David Rowland challenged him to search for a personal musical language. This was found in music characterized by expressive structures originated by connecting rhetorical figures with personal and symbolic implications.
He continued his composition study with a Master at the Royal Conservatory of the Hague where he studied with Louis Andriessen, Gilius van Bergeijk en Martijn Padding. With Rafael Reina he followed the programme Contemporary Music through Non-Western Techniques. This programme revolves around rhythmical devices/complexities and microtonal concepts derived from the theory of South Indian classical music (Karnatic music) in order to use them within a western contemporary context. He wrote for various musicians and ensembles like the Schönberg Ensemble, the Radio Kamerorkest (conducted by Peter Eötvös) andensemble insomnio.
From 2012 he also started making media music under the name of MUSICA NOVA. He worked with several directors like Hans Heijnen, Hanro Smitsman, Ruben Smit and production bureau Blackframe. As a composer he findshimself on two paths. The first one is that of an independant, autonomous creator in which every composition is a search for sertain values in relation to sound and movement. The other one is that of a craftsman, aware of traditions in search for the most meaningful and significant sounds in a given situation.
Here you can find more information about Musica Nova.
Gertjan (1971) studied music therapy at the Hogeschool Arnhem Nijmegen were he discovered his passion for composing music. He went to study composition in Enschede with David Rowland and classical piano with Fred Oldenburg. David Rowland challenged him to search for a personal musical language. This was found in music characterized by expressive structures originated by connecting rhetorical figures with personal and symbolic implications.