Johan de Meij | Compositori

Johan de Meij (Voorburg, 1953) studied trombone and conducting at the Royal Conservatory of Music at The Hague. He has earned international fame as a composer and arranger. His catalogue consists of original compositions, symphonic transcriptions and arrangements of film scores and musicals.

The Symphony no. 1 THE LORD OF THE RINGS, based on Tolkien's best-seller novels of the same name, was his first substantial composition for symphonic band and received the prestigious Sudler Composition Award in 1989. In 2001, the orchestral version was premiered by the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, and recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra that same year. His other larger compositions, such as Symphony no. 2 THE BIG APPLE [A NEW YORK SYMPHONY], T-BONE CONCERTO (for trombone and wind orchestra) and CASANOVA (for violoncello and wind orchestra) are also on the repertoire of the better orchestras and bands all over the world. CASANOVA was awarded the First Prize at the International Composition Competition of Corciano [Italy] in 1999, and a year later, De Meij won the Oman International Composition Prize with THE RED TOWER.

Besides composing, Johan de Meij is also very active in various musical fields. He serves as trombonist with the Orchestra «De Volharding» (The Perseverance) and as a regular substitute with the Radio Chamber Orchestra. He is much in demand as a guest conductor: he conducted concerts and seminars in almost all European countries, in Japan, Singapore, Brazil and the United States.