About the composer

                    Paul Steenhuisen

                    Read about the composer's composition/s

                    

". . .one of Canada's most talented young composers."        - Laurie Brown, On the Arts, CBC Television, February 1999

                    Paul Steenhuisen was born to Dutch parents in 1965 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. During the 1970's he had basic schooling, which included art and music education, completing a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of British Columbia in 1987, and attending masterclasses given by Luciano Berio this same year. He also initiated the radio show "Are You Serious Music?" for CITR.

                    In 1989, he was awarded 1st Prize in the Vancouver New Music Competition for Young Composers, as well as 1st Prizein the choral category at the PROCAN Competition for Young Composers. He also received selected work, Degré 1-Résidences category, at the 17e Concours International de Musique Electroacoustique, Bourges, and had the work performed by Vancouver New Music.

                    In 1990, Steenhuisen completed his Master of Music degree in composition at the University of British Columbia. He was awarded a Governor General of Canada Gold Medal as outstanding student in all faculties. The composer went on to study with Louis Andriessen in Amsterdam where he received a Post-graduate Certificate in Composition at the Royal Conservatory of Music, The Hague. He studied composition privately with Michael Finnissy in London, England, during this year and was awarded a Canada Council Arts Grant, a NUFFIC Scholarship, and a BC Ministry of Culture Senior Arts Award this year. Tube Shelter Perspective and Foundry premiered - Arnold Schoenbergzaal, The Hague.

                    

". . . at times gives the impression of some kind of strange, undanceable alien techno."        - Garth Cheddar, StriderNews, New York, 2000

                    In 1991, he commenced his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at UBC, and received the BC Arts Council Recommender Program Award. Steenhuisen was appointed a two-year UBC Graduate Fellowship and became assistant to Dr. Keith Hamel (computer music), until 1995. He also co-founded, 99 Generators electroacoustic music concerts in this year, and took 3rd prize in the Chamber music SOCAN Competition.

                    In 1992, the composer received three awards (one in each category) in the 10th CBC Radio Competition. He also won the CAR-MEL prize for music notation at the 36th Internationales Ferienkurse Für Neue Musik, Darmstadt. He took private lessons and masterclasses with Helmut Lachenmann. Foundry, millennia, and Tube Shelter Perspective performed at Darmstadt. Enclaves Interieures was performed by Batterie Park at the Sound Symposium in Newfoundland. He was awarded 2nd prize, chamber music, in the SOCAN Competition.

                    In 1993, he undertook a two-year Killam Pre-Doctoral Fellowship at UBC. Steenuisen received 2nd prize, orchestral music, in the SOCAN Competition. Tube Shelter Perspective received its U.S. premiere at the BONK Festival in Florida, and Mycenaean Wound premiered with Vancouver New Music. millennia was performed by Barbara Hannigan, presented by Continuum in Toronto.

                    

". . . hazardous, daring. . . strives for intellectual 'discussion.' "        - NRC Handelsblad, Amsterdam, October 1994

                    In 1994, the composer was a finalist in the Gaudeamus Music Week international competition for young composers. He was awarded 1st prize, electroacoustic music category, in the 11th CBC Radio Competition and 2nd prize, solo music, in the SOCAN Competition. millennia was performed by Ensemble 2e2m at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, and Tube Shelter Perspective was performed at the Planetarium in Amsterdam, Holland. Mycenaean Wound was performed by Ensemble Télémaque, Contemporary Art Museum in Marseilles, France, and he was commissioned by ELEKTRA Women's Choir.

                    In 1995, he was awarded 2nd prize, choral cateogry, by SOCAN and received 3rd prize, chamber music category, in the competition. Steenhuisen was commissioned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Tract premiered with Marshall McGuire in Sydney, Australia, and was subsequently performed in Rome, Italy. Huskless premiered with a solo performance by Lori Freedman in Toronto. He was a featured guest at the Winnipeg New Music Festival with performances of Foundry, Tube Shelter Perspective.

                    In 1996, the composer commenced a course in Composition and Computer Music, Institute for the Research and Coordination of Acoustics/Music (IRCAM), Paris. Studies with Tristan Murail, master-classes with Brian Ferneyhough, Magnus Lindberg. Wonder premiered by CBC Vancouver Orchestra, Vancouver International New Music Festival. Circumnavigating the Sea of Shit was commissioned by Diffusion i Media, and was premiered by Concordia University, Montréal. Lectures at UBC, Queen's, McGill, and Huddersfield universities.

                    In 1997, Wonder was selected by the CBC to represent Canada, and was 3rd of 10 recommended works at the 44th Tribunes Internationale des Compositeurs presented at UNESCO, Paris. The work was subsequently broadcast in 23 countries worldwide. Now is a Creature premiered by Bennie Sluchin, L'Espace de Projection at IRCAM in Paris. Steenhuisen gave a presentation/lecture at IRCAM open house.

                    

". . .encapsulates high drama and engineering prowess -an orchestral opus of staggering impact."        - The Record, Kitchener, May 2001

                    In 1998, he completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at UBC and took up Artistic Residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts. Steenhuisen was also commissioned by oboist Lawrence Cherney and undertook a 2-year position as composer-in-residence with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Ciphering in Tongues received its world premiere performance with the orchestra as part of its Evening Overtures series. The composer participated in a panel discussion as part of the Made in Canada Festival with John Corigliano, Henry Kucharzyk, Barbara Croall, and Eric Morin. Lori Freedman performed his Huskless - New Works Calgary. And, Circumnavigating the Sea of Shit was performed at the Rien à Voir Festival in Montréal.

                    In 1999, Steenhuisen was commisioned by: Austrian Radio; the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the BC Heritage Fund. Bread premiered by Klangforum Wien, Sylvain Cambreling conducting. wonder was performed by Austrian Radio Philharmonic, Arturo Tamayo conducting, at the Musikprotokoll festival in Graz, Austria. And, pomme de terre premiered by Guido Arbonelli, in Assisi, Rome, Antwerp, Belgrade, Moscow, and Perugia. Circumnavigating the Sea of Shit was performed in Toulouse, France, and at the BONK Festival in Florida.

                    In 2000, Steenhuisen was commissioned by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and was commissioned by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (with support from the Canada Council). airstream premiered with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Jukka-Pekka Saraste conducting. Continuum performed Mycenaean Wound in Toronto and the composer gave lectures at the University of Toronto. Significantly, Steenhuisen joined the prestigious musician-oriented Morningstars Hockey Club.

                    In 2001, bread was performed at ISCM World Music Days in Yokohama, Japan, and pomme de terre, bread, and cette obscure clarté qui tombe des étoiles performed at BONK Festival, Florida. Your soul is a bottle full of thirsting salt received its premiere performance with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Bramwell Tovey, conducting. Wonder was performed at the Open Ears Festival, in Kitchener. Pomme de terre, Poland is not yet Lost, and cette obscure clarté qui tombe des étoiles were performed at Ought-One Festival, Vermont.

                    For more about this composer go to http://members.shaw.ca/steenhuisen/