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.

Maarten Hogenhuis

Apart from being a topnotch saxophone player (and teacher at Conservatorium Tilburg), Maarten is well known for his music productions and collaborations with musicians with various backgrounds. As a teacher for the jazz composition department, Maarten focusses on (studio) productions, and the blending of acoustic-electronic elements.

Chris Muller

Chris Mulleris a composer, pianist, and arranger with a passion for orchestral m

usic. Chris has shared the stage with many leading musicians from the Dutch jazz scene and often takes part of various orchestras, including the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw, Paradox Jazz Orchestra, and his own Chris Muller Big Band. As a composer/arranger, Chris has had the opportunity to work with numerous big bands and orchestras, including the Metropole Orkest. As a teacher, Chris focusses on the craftmanship of composing and arranging from a broad musical perspective.

Tyn Wybenga

Tyn Wybenga is a composer and conductor who combines bold creativity and blatant swagger. His unique style is influenced by jazz, hiphop, classical music, South African music, and a whole lot more. The resulting mix connects genres and instruments in unforeseen ways, pushing musical boundaries. With his own Brainteaser Orchestra he has performed all over Europe. In 2026 he shared the stage with Pat Metheny, who selected Tyn to arrange his music. Furthermore he wrote for and conducted the Metropole Orchestra when we was granted the composition assignment for the North Sea Jazz festival. As a teacher, Tyn focusses on the creative output and urges students to find their own artistic musical signature.

Kees van den Bergh

Kees van den Bergh is as professor in Composition who has created a broad musical oeuvre. ‘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.’