Martijn Voorvelt regards a musical performance as a dramatic and somewhat absurd theatrical act. Visual elements and surprising events are often found in his music. But there are seductive melodies and harmonies as well. Above all, the music is about the moment and the intensity of the performance. Voorvelt studied musicology in the Netherlands and England. He was a reluctant musicologist however, and when his Raging, building for violin and piano unexpectedly won the EOE Optiebeurs prize 1994 for young European composers, Voorvelt happily decided to focus on composition. Since then, Voorvelt’s music has been performed in many countries around the world. Following an experiment with simultaneous compositions in1997, Voorvelt has been researching ways to juxtapose independent parts or pieces for maximum expressivity. In 2002 his string quartet 4/4 earned him a commission from the International Society for Contemporary Music. This resulted in War Parts, which has fourteen semi-independent instrumental parts organised in four overlapping compositions. Voorvelt’s interest in the visual and dramatic qualities of music led to his involvement in several theatre projects. He has also written and performed music in combination with dance, film, poetry and fine arts. As a singer-songwriter, Voorvelt has performed solo as well as in several obscure bands. Recently he is involved in the Jackson Mac Low Band, dedicated to the performance of experimental poetry and text-music.
[source: www.quatuorbozzini.ca] [x-08]