Martín Francisco Mayo is hopeful and looks with lots of optimism into the future; a sentence you might not hear often these days. It seems that not even the current pandemic can cloud Martín’s positive attitude. Born in Caracas, raised in Miami, Martín carries the sun in his heart and lights up every room he enters. The same goes for his cheerful and seemingly effortless compositions.

But after you’ve seen Martín in dialogue with five-time Grammy Awards and Erasmus Prize winner John Adams discussing his work, you realize how complex and meaningful his compositions are and how much hard work he puts into them. Things don’t just fall into his lap; Martín’s curious mind is constantly looking for new challenges to tackle and new skills to learn.

A journey from Miami to The Hague
‘I first applied to a couple of schools in the United States but I never felt a connection with the institutions and kept on searching for something that would feel a bit more personal. A couple of my Spanish friends said, I should also consider European schools and via a friend of a friend I ended up applying to the Royal Conservatoire. The moment I had my audition, I knew this is the place I want to be: A friendly and open community, just like a family!’

‘The contact with the teachers is very good. Our faculty is incredibly diverse which gives us students the opportunity to learn from so many different composers and cultures and experience all sorts of different styles. Additionally, the school has collaborations with Leiden University and Codarts Rotterdam, where you can follow elective courses or do research.’

‘The part what makes this place feel like a community are our Monday Meetings. The whole department gathers on Mondays: Bachelor- and Master students alike as well as all the teachers. Usually, two students present their recent work and we discuss their ideas with the whole group. Afterwards, we all have a drink together in the foyer. You never feel left out as an international student. There is a huge solidarity amongst us which in times of lockdown and social distancing has never been more important.’

Networks and Opportunities
‘A lot of the opportunities I had are in fact closely linked to the school’, Martín says. The Composition Department has an amazing network in the Netherlands and is an integral part of The Hague’s contemporary arts scene. Contemporary music ensembles such as Slagwerk Den Haag and Orkest de Ererpijs are always enthusiastic when it comes to collaborating with the Composition Department. Having the once in a lifetime opportunity to meet internationally acclaimed composer John Adams during a Masterclass at the Royal Conservatoire was truely a highlight. Martín’s work really impressed Adams and the two are still in contact, discussing the possibilities of Martín composing a piece for Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.

Additionally, Martín started teaching an advanced course about Rhythm to Bachelor students of the Composition Department. His multi-cultural background really helps him understand different rhythms and how to use them. ‘There is no one way to compose; there are so many different possibilities and different cultures to learn to get inspired from. Think about Debussy and his fascination for Indonesian Gamelan music. Teaching rhythm is also an opportunity for me to share my Venezuelan heritage with the students.’

Students of the Royal Conservatoire have access to the different working stations of the Royal Academy of the Arts (KABK) as the two institutions together form the University of the Arts. After following an instrumentation course, Martín wanted to learn more about instruments and their different sounds and decided to start building his own instruments at the KABK and to experiment with different materials.

Staying Positive and Motivated
‘There is always something to do which makes me still being excited about the future. Take the initiative and make things happen. And what helps me a lot is to remember for what I am actually here: making music!’

Interested? Go to our 'Apply now' pages for more information about the Royal Conservatoire and the Composition Department.