Johan de Meij

From Wind Repertory Project

Johan de Meij

Biography

Johan de Meij (b. 1953, Voorburg, Netherlands) studied trombone and conducting at the Royal Conservatory of Music at The Hague. He has earned international fame as a composer and arranger. His catalogue consists of original compositions, symphonic transcriptions and arrangements of film scores and musicals.

De Meij’s Symphony No. 1, "Lord of the Rings", based on Tolkien's best-selling novels of the same name, was his first substantial composition for symphonic band and received the prestigious Sudler Composition Award in 1989. In 2001, the orchestral version was premiered by the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. The Lord of the Rings was recorded over twenty times, performed by renowned orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra and the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra. His other larger compositions, such as Symphony No. 2, "The Big Apple"", T-Bone Concerto (trombone concerto) and Casanova (cello concerto) are also on the repertoire of the better orchestras and bands all over the world. Casanova was awarded the First Prize at the International Composition Competition of Corciano [Italy] in 1999, and a year later, De Meij won the Oman International Composition Prize with The Red Tower. His third and most recent symphony, *Symphony No. 3, "Planet Earth"" , De Meij composed at the request of the North Netherlands Orchestra. With reference to the première the Dutch press was unanimous in its praise: “Compelling symphony Johan de Meij lifts NNO to a great height” (de Volkskrant); “De Meij knows how to compose, and he knows how to produce an effect”(Trouw). The Symphony was awarded the 2nd Prize at the International Composition Competition of Corciano in 2006.

Besides composing, Johan de Meij is very active in various musical fields. He is a trombonist with the orchestra “De Volharding” (The Perseverance), and as a regular substitute with various other ensembles and orchestras. He is much in demand as a guest conductor and clinician: he conducted concerts and led seminars in almost all European countries, in Japan, Singapore, Brazil, and the United States.