Music is not just something to listen to, but it is also something that ‘happens’. When Michel van der Aa realised this a few years ago, he decided that his composing should be more than just writing notes.

He specialised in several fields of art to expand his means of expression. In recent years he has mainly become known through compositions in which electronics, video and theatrical effects accompany the notes and text. Take for example his work for soprano, chamber orchestra and soundtrack (Here Trilogy, 2001-03) in which the singer is absent throughout the first part, only being represented on the stage by a dress in a cupboard. Or an opera (After Life, Holland Festival 2006) in which the singers have electronic alter egos in a film directed by the composer himself. An English critic once wrote: ‘Michel van der Aa extends the boundaries of all his media. This is the Gesamtkunst of the future.’

Van der Aa’s approach differs for each composition and emanates from the subject matter. In his own words, this can range from a literary source to ‘just a thought while brushing the teeth.’ And whether the work is about death (After Life, 2005), fear (Spaces of Blank, 2007), or the inner feelings of the famous poet Fernando Pessoa (The Book of Disquiet, 2008), van der Aa doesn’t want to impose ideas on the audience, but he does want to rouse them, because: ‘Everybody experiences his own truth.’

Myrthe van Dijk

Michel van der Aa’s interests:
My wife and son, the Rancilio espresso machine, the Sacre live by the Concertgebouw Orchestra and Zubin Mehta, snorkling on the Ningaloo Reef, Engadget.com.

Michel van der Aa’s heroes and inspiration:
J.S. Bach, Anish Kapoor, György Ligeti, Charlie Kaufmann, Bill Viola, Radiohead, David Mitchell, Miranda July, Kobo Abe, etc.