Composition Jazz
Jazz & Beyond
Students who major in Jazz Composition, will explore the challenging world of composition, arrangements, orchestration, and production techniques. You will apply these skills while writing and producing instrumental, vocal, acoustic, and electronic music for different groups, varying from small ensembles, and big bands to orchestras, in live and studio settings.
As a jazz composition student you will learn the concepts and techniques of arranging and production using Daw’s (digital audio workstations), digital
productions suites and your own laptop-based studio. You will also be working with performers, studio personnel and creative people from other disciplines as a composer, arranger, conductor and / or producer. Students will get acquainted with the musical concepts of a great variety of styles such as jazz, latin, pop, modern creative, rock, and musical theater amongst others.
Teachers
Maino Remmers
Maino Remmers studied musicology, mass communication, choral conducting, and organ, and finally specialized in big band writing, arranging, and conducting. Maino worked with various famous artists such as Cubop City Big Band, Benjamin Herman's New Cool Collective, Denise Jannah, and Bob Brookmeyer, but also with the 'Fanfarekorps Koninklijke Landmacht' and the European Youth Orchestra. Since 1997, he teaches arranging classes at Fontys Music and Performing Arts and furthermore he is a consultant for the International Composition Contest in Helmond.
Kees van den Bergh
Kees van den Bergh is as professor in both the bachelor and master Composition. His own oeuvre consists of compositions for voice, pieces for instrument solo, songs, choral music, chamber music for various ensembles, electronic music, and several symphonic works. His current compositions have a high degree of consonance and are influenced by Renaissance counterpoint, minimal music, and pop music. ‘Since 2008 I have coached gifted young composers in finding and developing their own musical voice. The musical styles of these young composers contain various approaches. You can hear influences of ethnic music, jazz, romantic classical music, extended tonality, film music, avant-garde, etc. This is very exciting, because music is not about style, it is about quality and a proper balance between craftsmanship and musical expression.’
Candidates that live in the Netherlands, Belgium or western Germany will do a live audition. Candidates from other countries will do an online audition.
The entrance exam consists of two parts. Duration of the first part is 20 minutes.
Part 1
Review of your digitalportfolio. The portfolio must contain at least three compositions, both scores (PDF files) and sound recordings (MP3 or WAV files) or video (YouTube, Vimeo). We would also like to receive a short biography with date of birth, previous education, musical experience, musical preferences, plans and dreams for the future, etc. The committee will assess whether the student has sufficient talent and motivation, and is open-minded towards new, innovative music.
Part 2
Once we receive the necessary documents, the Admissions Committee will review your work. If the result is positive, you will be invited for an interview, live or online.