Muziek Centrum Nederland

Reza Namavar

Reza Namavar is only 28 years old, but already he has contributed to two editions of the Holland Festival. In 2007 he wrote the mini concerto for viola De Schreeuwuijl (The Screech-owl) for Susanne van Els. For this year’s edition he is writing a long soundtrack to accompany the silent film J’accuse by Abel Gance. For Namavar composing is a sine qua non. It is a way for the young Dutch composer with an Iranian father to express all the musical ideas that settle in his mind. He already had this urge to write as a child. It is a welcome bonus that since he graduated in 2006 he has never had to wait long for a new assignment.

Early works for ensemble such as In Principe Wel (In Principle, Yes) still follow the format of The Hague School: fast tempo, repetition of short patterns and hard accents. Namavar broke away from this with his melodious orchestral work De Trompet (The Trumpet) in 2006, after listening to all of the cantatas by Bach. Characteristic for his recent works are colourful harmonies and filmic montage techniques.

Over the years Namavar’s music has become less fierce, but it remains as compelling as he himself is modest. More and more he juxtaposes contrasting blocks, like in Raufarhafnarhreppur for two pianos, in which quiet episodes counterbalance fast baroque sways of notes. But the compelling voice of a composer who merely needs to chose from all his ideas can be heard throughout.

Michel Khalifa

3 characteristic statements by Reza:
  • O God, another one of those types that fingers the strings of the piano.
  • The bullfinch is without a doubt one of the prettiest Dutch songbirds.
  • "I particularly like the end of this sentence."

reza namavar

Reza Namavar
concise personal portait

Reza Namavar’s interests:

  • Composing, composing and composing and visiting deserted and remote islands all over the world (finances permitting). I have already been to Iceland and the Seychelles and this year I’m going to Spitsbergen. French Polynesia takes my fancy as well - especially the Marquesas Islands. The more remote, the better. I like the idea of being cut off by the sea and not being able to go anywhere. Also, uninhabited places really empty your head. When I return from such a holiday, I have a greater desire to compose than when I’ve stayed in Amsterdam the whole year. I cannot really stand bustle.

  • I also like birds, the planets and the stars. (Science). The existence of other worlds and planets really puts things into perspective. It also makes society seem a bit absurd. We all live on this same planet and it will only take a meteorite to fall onto the earth for all counterbassoons, clarinets in E-flat and compositions to be gone just like that. I like placing music in the wrong context.

  • And of course I particularly like Bach cantatas (I know all of them) and Ravel’s L'enfant et les sortilèges.
Bookmark and Share