Biography
Roel van Oosten was born on June 14, 1958 in The Hague.
He studied composition with Peter Schat and Louis Andriessen and piano with Else Krijgsman at the Royal Conservatory of Music in The Hague. In 1984 he received a scholarship from the French and Dutch Ministry of Culture to study with the French composer Betsy Jolas. He attended composition and analysis courses at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris. In 1987 he was selected as an occupant of the atelier of Theo van Doesburg (co-founder of the art movement De Stijl) in Meudon, France.
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Most of his compositions are written in commission, including works for symphony orchestra, chamber music, music theatre and commissions for special occasions such as the opening of the parliamentary year, ballet and children's concerts. His compositions have been performed by a.o. the Residentie Orkest, Noordhollands Philharmonisch Orkest, Nederlands Balletorkest, Asko Ensemble, Slagwerkgroep Den Haag and the Osiris Trio. Van Oosten presented his works in a.o. France, the United Kingdom, China, the United States of America (Carnegie Hall) and New Zealand. His compositions have been broadcast on radio and television and are released on CD.
In 2001 Roel van Oosten received the European AGEC composition prize (European Choir Federation) for his composition Les Amours for choir and orchestra.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.