Practical experience and collaboration with leading orchestras and ensembles during the program

During the course, you will develop your own contemporary music practice and work closely with musicians and other artists in performances of your own pieces. You are able to work in various instrumental settings, gaining experience writing solo, chamber and orchestral music. In addition to making scores, you are given opportunities to cooperate with makers from other disciplines, from visual artists, theatre makers to poets and dancers. You will also get acquainted with improvisation, (live) electronics, multimedia and music theatre.

Practical experience is at the heart of our education, next to a solid theoretical basis. You will be able to take part in a large number of internal and external concerts. In addition to facilitating collaborations with fellow students, the program has close ties with professional ensembles such as the Residentie Orchestra, New European Ensemble, HIIIT (formerly known as Slagwerk Den Haag), Asko|Schönberg, Ensemble Klang, Calefax, Kluster5 and with venues and festivals such as the Korzo Theatre, Festival Dag in de Branding, November Music, Gaudeamus, Musica Sacra and the Opera Forward Festival.

Guest Composers

The department often invites prominent composers for guest lectures, lessons, workshops and portrait concerts. In recent years these have included Oscar Bettison, Jürg Frey, Michael Pisaro-Liu and Hans Abrahamsen. Historic large scale residencies included John Cage, Karlheinz Stockhausen, György Kurtág, György Ligeti and Olivier Messiaen, among others.

Alumni

These talented composers who are now active both nationally and internationally began their careers at the Royal Conservatoire's composition department. In recent years these have included: Michel van der Aa, Cassandra Miller, Yannis Kyriakides, Missy Mazzoli, Richard Ayres, Calliope Tsoupaki, Kate Moore, Genevieve Murphy, Damien Ricketson, Mikołaj Laskowski en Maya Verlaak.

Louis Andriessen Studio

Since september 2024 the school houses the archives of former teacher Louis Andriessen in a workspace available to students, including his scores and the grand piano and desk at which these scores were written.

Minor in Compositie

As a bachelor student of the conservatoire, you can apply for a minor in composition. You will attend private and group lessons in composition and the weekly Studium Generale—department-wide lectures, presentations, workshops and concerts. You can expand your curriculum with a selection of courses. The course lasts three years, and applications are open to Bachelor 1 students in the spring.