Header image of Theo Verbey, sitting on a concrete walkway with water on both sides
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Contemporary Classical Music Composer

Bio

Theo Verbey (5 July 1959-13 October 2019) was a Dutch composer of contemporary classical music. His style – which has been described as energetic and appealing – is known for its elegance, rhythmically transparent approach and rich instrumentation. Theo’s orchestral, chamber and vocal works are favorites with listeners and musicians and never fail to touch the hearts of those who hear them. His commitment to teaching has also paved the way for new musicians, creating a legacy that will last for generations to come.

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FeaturedRecording

Commissioned by Amsterdam Sinfonietta

Schaduw (2002)

18'  2vl vla vc (solo string quartet) 2perc str(6.6.4.4.2)

Schaduw - for string quartet, percussion, and string orchestra ONLY DIGITAL AVAILABLE Artists: Amsterdam Sinfonietta Peter Oundjian Brodsky Quartet In March 2003, Theo Verbey's work Schaduw (Shadow) was premiered by Nieuw Sinfonietta Amsterdam, a chamber orchestra now known as Amsterdam Sinfonietta. Renowned Dutch musicologist and journalist Thea Derks talked with Theo Verbey about the piece on 23 December 2002. With Schaduw, Sinfonietta commissioned Verbey to write a composition for them and the Brodsky Quartet. Verbey said it was "an exciting commission. Because the soloists are also string players, you do not have a lot of sound contrast available a priori; you have to create it yourself..."

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Upcoming Events

Aaron Small's trombone recital

06 Jun 2023

Royal Conservatoire The Hague, Amare, The Hague, Netherlands

Aaron Small, Andrea Vasi

Bach, Beethoven, Wagner, Bruckner, Debussy, Mahler, Messiaen, Korngold, Verbey

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Latest News

11 Apr 2023

BBC Music Magazine gives Stravinsky: Les Noces 5 stars!

'Hearing Stravinsky’s long-desired but originally unfulfilled version of Les Noces – so compellingly realised between Verbey and these fine musicians – is worth the price of entry alone.' - by Daniel Jaffé

6 Feb 2023

“Earthy, lean and superbly performed”

The CD review by Andrew Clements for The Guardian:

An early unfinished version of the 1923 landmark work, completed by Theo Verbey almost 100 years after Stravinsky conceived it, is earthy, lean and superbly performed.

3 Feb 2023

World premiere recording of Theo Verbey’s completion of Stravinsky’s Les Noces in a rare 1919 version released

World premiere recording of Stravinsky’s Les Noces in a rare version of 1919 by Ensemble Aedes and Les Siècles conducted by Mathieu Romano.

“This recording is the result of a project conceived by the choreographer Dominique Brun, director of the dance company Les Porteurs d’Ombre, who asked me to provide the music for a new programme, Nijinska / Voilà la femme, which was premiered at the Théâtre National de Chaillot in Paris in March 2021. It comprises two major works, Stravinsky’s Les Noces and Ravel’s Bolero, both of which were originally choreographed by Bronislava Nijinska for the Ballets Russes.” - Mathieu Romano