Joey Roukens

Contemporary Composer

Catalogue

From early works to current projects

Orchestral

Night Flight - 2021

 

For orchestra

Scherzo from Symphony No.1. It can be performed as a stand-alone piece. As such, it was the compulsory work for the finalists of the International Conducting Competition Rotterdam 2022.

Duration: 8'

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Distorted Fantasia - 2021

After J.P. Sweelinck 

For orchestra

Commissioned by Stichting Sweelinck 2021. Written for the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the death of Dutch composer J.P. Sweelinck (1562-1621).

Duration: 14'30

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Symphony No. 1 ‘Kaleidoscopic’ - 2021

 

For orchestra

I. Always with forward motion
II. Ayre
III. Scherzo: Night Flight
IV. Landscape


Commissioned by the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra.

Duration: 42'

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In Unison - 2017

 

For two pianos and orchestra

I. Neon Toccata
II. What if
III. Dark Ride.


Double piano concerto written for Lucas & Arthur Jussen and the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest. Commissioned by NTR ZaterdagMatinee.

Duration: 32'

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Morphic Waves - 2016

 

For orchestra

A kind of symphony in one big movement written for the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra as part of my residency with this orchestra during the 2015-16 concert season.

Duration: 23'

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Chase - 2013

 

For orchestra

Written for the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Duration: 4'

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Concerto Hypnagogique - 2011

 

For piano and orchestra

I. Prelude: Strange Glowing Forms
II. Running Through Lucid Dreams
III. Chorale and Landscape
IV. Finale


Written for Ralph van Raat and the Radio Kamer Philharmonie. Commissioned by NTR ZaterdagMatinee.

Duration: c. 36'

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Out of Control - 2010

 

For orchestra

Written for the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Duration: 16'

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Concerto for alto saxophone and orchestra - 2008

 

For orchestra

A three-movement saxophone concerto written for Arno Bornkamp and the Noord Nederlands Orkest.

Duration: 26'

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From Funeral to Funfair (and back..) - 2007

 

For orchestra

Duration: 12'30"

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365 - 2006

 

For orchestra

Duration: 16'

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Running from Silence - 2005

 

For alto saxophone and orchestra

Duration: c. 18'

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Ensemble

Boundless (Homage to L.B.) - 2016

 

For string orchestra, harp, keyboards and percussion

I. Manically
II. Glacially
III. Propulsively


Commissioned by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, written for the centennial of Leonard Bernstein's birth.

Duration: 16'

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Visions at Sea - 2016

Version for string orchestra 

For string orchestra

This is a version for string orchestra of my third string quartet ' Visions at Sea' I made for Amsterdam Sinfonietta.

Duration: 16'

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Roads to Everywhere - 2015

 

For solo violin and large ensemble

I. (Im)Pulses
II. Across the Fields


Written for violinist Joseph Puglia and Asko|Schönberg.

Duration: 24'

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Percussion Concerto - 2011

 

For solo percussion and large ensemble

I. Lines and colors
II. I remember this place
III. Protean grooves
IV. It’s over, my friend


Written for Colin Currie.

Duration: c. 30'

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Scenes from an old memory box - 2010

 

For large ensemble

I. At Muller's Bar & Dance Hall
II. In a Sunday Morning Haze
III. Mad Carousel


Written for the Asko|Schönberg Ensemble.

Duration: 18'

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Fast Movement and Epilogue - 2009

 

For ensemble

Written for Tokyo Sinfonietta.

Duration: c. 14'

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From an illustrious hand - 2007

 

For ensemble

Duration: 7'

Catching Proteus - 2005

 

For ensemble

Written for the Nieuw Ensemble.

Duration: 9'

Chamber Music

Forgotten Dutch Melodies - 2023

String Quartet No. 5 

String Quartet

I. From a 17th-Century Songbook
II. Deianira, Ick Kent
III. A Tune from the North
IV. Country Dance


Duration: 19'

Riffs - 2021

 

For violin and piano

Commissioned by the Nationaal Vioolconcours (Davina van Wely Prize).

Duration: 5'

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Unleashed - 2020

 

For 5 string players and percussion

Written for the ensemble FUSE.

Duration: 4'

Three Rameau Pieces - 2019

after harpsichord pieces by Jean-Philippe Rameau 

For string quartet

I. Les Trois Mains
II. Les Soupirs
III. La Joyeuse


Commissioned by the String Quartet Biennale Amsterdam.

Duration: 10'

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What Remains - 2019

String Quartet no. 4 


I. Strange Oscillations
II. Motectum


Written for the Dudok Quartet Amsterdam. Commisioned by the String Quartet Biennale Amsterdam.

Duration: 26'

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Sarasvati - 2018

 

For violin and piano

Written for Noa Wildschut and Elisabeth Brauß. by Concertgebouw Amsterdam and the European Concert Hall Organisation in the framework of ECHO Rising Stars.

Duration: 12'30"

In Transit - 2014

 

For string quartet and percussion

Duration: 17'

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Lost in a Surreal Trip - 2014

 

For violin, cello, percussion and piano

Commissioned for the At Lunch series by Britten Sinfonia and Wigmore Hall London.

Duration: 13'

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Visions at Sea - 2011

String Quartet No. 3 


Written for the Rubens Quartet, commissioned by the National Maritime Museum Amsterdam.

Duration: 17'

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Piano Trio ‘Shadows and Bells - 2009

 

For piano

Written for the Storioni Trio, commissioned by Dutch Radio 4 for the Storioni Festival 2010

Duration: 15'

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Forms in Dark and White, Moving - 2008

 

For violin (also electric violin), percussion and piano

I. Interrupted Swell
II. Stuttering Machine
III. Pensive Song
IV. Unisono Toccata
V. White Material


Suite in Five Movements, to be performed with image work by visual artist Matthijs van Zessen.

Duration: c. 19'

Earnest and Game - 2007

String Quartet no. 2 


I. Prelude (Memory Fragments)
II. Ecstasy
III. Longing


Written for the Rubens Quartet. Commissioned by the Kamermuziekvereeniging Rotterdam.

Duration: 24'

Floating Shapes with Changing Light - 2005

 

For flute, violin, percussion, celesta and piano

Duration: 15'

Quodlibet - 2004

 

For saxophone quartet

Duration: 10'30"

String Quartet No. 1 - 2003

 


Duration: c. 15'

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Solo Instrumental

Piano Sonata No.1 - 2023

 


In One Movement


Duration: 17'

Christmas Sonatina - 2022

 

For solo piano

A three-movement sonatina I wrote in december 2022, each of the movements is freely based on old Christmas melodies.

Duration: 8'

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Roaming Empty Streets - 2020

 

For solo piano

Written for Ralph van Raat.

Duration: 4'40"

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Summer Preludes - 2020

 

For solo piano

1. Summer Nostalgia
2. Flowing
3. Quiet Summer Night
4. The weather has changed
5. Little Meditation I
6. Gray July Days
7. Raindrops
8. After the Rain (Little Meditation II)
9. Autumn in Summer
10. Heatwave (Little Meditation III)
11. Tropical Days
12. An August Morning
13. Epilogue - End of Summer


Duration: 28'

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Autumn Prayer - 2016

 

For solo piano

Duration: 6'

We once lived here - 2016

Five Pieces for Piano 

For solo piano

1. Dark Highway
2. Floating Away
3. Clouds and Swells
4. That Familiar Lonely Place
5. Here at last


A cycle of 5 piano pieces, compiled in 2016 but composed over several years (during the 2010s).

Duration: c. 20'

Beat Mutations - 2012

 

For solo timpani

Duration: 6'

Lounge Pieces - 2010

 

For solo piano

1. That Familiar Lonely Place
2. Anthemic Swells
3. Omega Nebula
4. Strange Premonition
5. Postlude


Duration: 20'

Five Preludes - 2009

 

For solo piano

I. Homage to Sweelinck
II. …intimately...
III. Gloomy, quasi corale
IV. Molto tranquillo, vague and dreamlike
V. Agnus Dei


Duration: 12'

Snow Piece - 2009

 

For solo piano

Duration: c. 7'

Of Unremembered Skies and Snows - 2007

 

For solo piano

Duration: c. 15'

Blues on a bright background - 2007

 

For solo piano

Written for Marcel Worms.

Duration: 7'

From the Box in the Attic - 2004

5 pieces for piano four hands 


I. Pianola bar (Homage to Nancarrow)
II. Harmonica, fiddle and celesta
III. Carillon bells
IV. Remembering an old folk melody
V. Song of goodbye ... Procession


Currently unavailable for performance.

Duration: c. 16'

12 Preludes - 2000

 

For solo piano

Duration: 24'

Un Cuadro de Yucatan (a violin caprice) - 1999

 

For solo violin

Duration: 5'

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Vocal Music

Requiem - 2022

 

For SATB chorus, percussion and string orchestra

Part One
1. Invocatio
2. Introitus
3. Graduale: Si ambulem
4. Dies
5. Oro supplex - Lacrimosa

Part Two
6a. Praeludium
6b. Interludium I (Under the wide and starry sky)
7a. Invocatio
7b. In Paradisum
8. Interludium II (I am not there)
9. Offertorium
10. Agnus Dei
11. Postludium (Good night)


Commissioned by November Music (written for their Bosch Requiem series) and Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ. First performance on 3 November 2022 by Nederlands Kamerkoor & Amsterdam Sinfonietta conducted by Sofi Jeannin.

Duration: 60'

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Angeli - 2018

Version 1 for female voices and 8 celli 

For 5 female voices and 8 celli (also version for 5 female voices and organ)

Written for vocal ensemble Wishful Singing and Cello Octet Amsterdam. Commissioned by the Cello Biënnale Amsterdam.

Duration: 20'

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Angeli - 2018

Version 2 for female voices and organ 

Version for 5 female voices and organ

Duration: 20'

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Herbstlieder - 2016

 

3 Lieder for alto or mezzo-soprano and piano

1. Der Herbst des Einsamen (Trakl)
2. Herbst (Morgenstern)
3. Im Blätterfallen (Bierbaum)


Duration: 10'30"

Frühlingslieder - 2015

 

4 Lieder for high voice and piano

I. Der Frühling (Hölderlin).
II. Vorfrühling (Rilke)
III. Frühlingsgruss (Heine)
IV. Im Frühling (Trakl)


A set of four songs based on poems about springtime by various German-language poets. It is also a homage to the German Lied tradition (Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Mahler, Wolf, etc.) and the music is full of stylistic allusions to that tradition.

Duration: 12'

Rising Phenix - 2014

 

For SATB chorus and orchestra.

Part Ia. (Introduction)
Part Ib. Sic mundus creatus est
Part IIa. We are sojourners
Part IIb. In the joy of the light to be


Cantata for chorus and large orchestra, written for the Groot Omroepkoor and Radio Filharmonisch Orkest to celebrate the (re)opening of the renovated concert hall TivoliVredenburg Utrecht. Text by Henry Newbolt and Hermes Trismegistus.

Duration: 35'

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Als ik schreeuw hoor ik mijn eigen stem (When I scream, I hear my own voice) - 2003

 

For baritone and orchestra

Duration: 5'

Stage Works

Dorian: Ballet in two acts - 2022

After 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' by Oscar Wilde 

For orchestra.

Commissioned by the Dutch National Ballet, this two act ballet was written for a collaboration between classical dancers of the Dutch National Ballet (Junior Company) and hiphop dancers of ISH Dance Collective. Choreography by Ernst Meisner (Dutch National Ballet) and Marco Gerris (ISH).

Duration: c. 75'

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Mr Finney, de Opera - 2012

Opera for children and adults in 12 scenes 


Libretto by Carel Alphenaar, adapted from the children’s book 'Mr Finney and the World Turned Upside-down' by Laurentien van Oranje and Sieb Posthuma.


An opera about a fish-like creature called Mr Finney who goes on a journey around the world; as he travels, he is confronted by all kinds of questions and problems related to the environment.

Duration: c. 75'

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