Around the Music Festival

Hans Kox, one of the leading composers in the Netherlands, died on February 25. He was 85 years old. It is known for the style which incorporated twelve sound technique while leaving tonality. In 1953 he made his debut as a composer at International Gaudeamus Music Week. The work ranged from symphony to opera, composed more than 150 works. Major works include orchestral music “Concertante muziek”, “Anne Frank Cantate”, “In Those Days”, “The Darkling Thrush”, “Requiem for Europe”, and others.

Kox was born in 1930, Arnhem in the eastern part of the Netherlands. After receiving music from a father who was a conductor of a choir and an organist, he advanced to the Utrecht Conservatory. After that, he moved to Amsterdam and learned composition. From 1956 to 1971 he taught at the music school of Doultingham. Afterwards, he moved to Harlem and became an advisor to the North Holland Philharmonic Orchestra. He was a professor at the Utrecht Conservatory until 1984.

Photo：Marieke Duijsters