On 30 September, the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague will open the Louis Andriessen Studio, a space dedicated to one of the most influential composers in Dutch music history. This studio, filled with personal objects of Andriessen such as his grand piano and score cabinet, will function as a working space for composition students. The studio will be festively opened with a concert in which students and teachers of the Royal Conservatoire will perform works by the composer and a film will be shown.

Louis Andriessen and his lasting influence

Louis Andriessen, known worldwide for his music, played a crucial role in the development of the Hague School. His innovative take on composition with a philosophy of collaboration, freedom in composition and opposition to traditional structures still forms the core of education at the Royal Conservatoire. Although Andriessen died in 2021, his influence lives on through his pieces, such as De Staat, De Tijd and Workers Union, and through his students, including current composition teachers Calliope Tsoupaki, Yannis Kyriakides and Martijn Padding, who now mentor their own students in the same spirit of experimentation and collaboration.

An inspiring place for young composers

The new studio, which bears Andriessen's name, is much more than a space filled with his personal belongings. It is a place where students come into direct contact with the legacy of this great composer. The studio is furnished with Andriessen's grand piano, his score cabinet and even a table with a Mondrian motif. But this is not a museum - the intention is to make active use of the space, in line with Andriessen's motto: ‘This is a place to work.’

Martijn Padding, a former student of Andriessen's and one of the first teachers to work in the studio, has experienced first-hand how inspiring such a place can be:

‘I was in Vienna once and visited Beethoven's house. I remember standing looking at a cabinet of this composer for up to 45 minutes, probably he just kept his pants in here, but it felt like I had direct contact with something big for a moment. That's what the Louis Andriessen Studio can offer: a direct connection to the beginning of something very special. Behind that grand piano, a lot of pieces were created that are now world-famous and of great importance to music history.’

The Hague School still lives on at the Royal Conservatoire

The Hague School, co-founded by Louis Andriessen, Dick Raaijmakers and Gilius van Bergeijk, remains an important source of inspiration for the composition department at the Royal Conservatoire. The philosophy of the Hague School is not only about innovative compositions, but especially about collaboration and jointly exploring new musical possibilities. Andriessen encouraged students to work together without hierarchy.

‘Even as a young teacher, Louis started organising projects and mobilised students from all departments to form ensembles and play music together. It was about doing things, not philosophising a lot,’ says Martijn Padding.

Andriessen's philosophy in today's composition lessons

Louis Andriessen's lessons and philosophy are deeply embedded in teaching at the Royal Conservatoire. Martijn Padding, Calliope Tsoupaki and Yannis Kyriakides, who were all personally trained by Andriessen, convey his ideas to their students on a daily basis. Padding tells how he still often harks back to Andriessen's views on music:

‘Louis said to me: ‘You think far too quickly that something is not music. Even the sound of a window opening can be part of music.' I used that in one of my lessons just last week.’

A living heritage

The influence of Louis Andriessen and the Hague School continues to be felt in the way the composition department functions. His lessons were not just about the technique of composing, but mainly about how to collaborate, think and experiment with music. These values are still cherished and passed on to the new batch of students.

The opening of the Louis Andriessen Studio reinforces the connection with the past. From now on, students will be taught behind the same grand piano where he composed his most famous works, and they can book the Louis Andriessen Studio to compose themselves, or to study one of the many scores from the bookcase. It is a place of experimentation, just as Andriessen would have wanted.

The concert: a tribute to Andriessen

The concert on 30 September at the Conservatory Hall in Amare offers a special opportunity to experience Andriessen's music. A short film about the house and attic where Andriessen's years lived and worked will be shown, followed by a live performance in the studio itself, where Andriessen's grand piano will be brought back to life by Lies Colman, the director of the Royal Conservatory.

The opening of the Louis Andriessen Studio and the concert offer a unique opportunity to celebrate the legacy of a great composer. Don't miss this special evening!

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