Header image of Theo Verbey, sitting on a concrete walkway with water on both sides
Logo Theo Verbey - groot

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.

Continue Reading

FeaturedRecording

Commissioned by and written to commemorate the Dutch Year of the Mines

Lumen ad Finem Cuniculi (2015)

18'  3.3.3.3.-4.3.3.1-timp-5perc-hp-strings: 16.14.12.10.8

A stunning new live recording of the Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Shiyeon Sung. “The title of my orchestral work Lumen ad Finem Cuniculi means: Light at the end of the tunnel. It is a one-movement piece for orchestra, composed in 2015. For some time I had been intending to compose a sequel to my 2009 orchestral work, Orchestral Variations. I wanted to again use the set-up in which a quartet consisting of two marimbas and two vibraphones forms a prominent rhythm section within the orchestra. […] The reason for writing the piece is the proclamation of 2015 as the Dutch Year of the Mines. Fifty years ago, the mines in South Limburg, the Netherlands, were closed.” – Theo Verbey

Continue ReadingExplore more works

Upcoming Events

Aaron Small's trombone recital

06 Jun 2023

Royal Conservatoire The Hague, Amare | The Hague, Netherlands

Aaron SmallAndrea Vasi

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

View details

Roterdam Choir to sing Gesualdo's Sacrae Cationes Liber Secundus, completed by Theo Verbey

19 Mar 2023

Citykerk Het Steiger/Sint Dominicus | Hang 18, 3011 GG Rotterdam

Cappella GabrieliMaarten Michielsen

Palestrina, Gesualdo, Brahms, and Schönberg, among others

View details

Latest News

8 Sep 2023

Verbey’s ‘Five Pieces for Violoncello Solo’ a round-two selection for the Dutch National Cello Copetition

The Dutch National Cello Competition is one of the most exciting part of Amsterdam's famous Cello Biennale. In 2006, founder Maarten Mostert commissioned Theo Verbey to write his 'Five Pieces for Violoncello Solo' for the first edition of the competition, now being held for the ninth time. As Verbey said, 'The subjects of the five movements are partly musical, and partly technical. In terms of content, these pieces are somewhere between etudes and concert pieces.'

12 Aug 2023

Foundation aims to preserve the legacy of composer Theo Verbey

Theo Verbey (1959-2019) composed contemporary classical music and lived in Amsterdam’s Watergraafsmeer district. He was and still is relatively well known abroad. After he died, his widow Eileen Stevens established the Theo Verbey Foundation to keep Theo’s music from being forgotten. His music can be heard on Spotify, for example. Oost Online contributor Oscar Smit, celebrated pop music journalist and DJ, had a pleasant conversation with Theo’s widow.

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