Willem Jeths

Originally from Amersfoort, Willem Jeths studied at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam and with Tristan Keuris in Utrecht. Since 2007, the 58-year-old has taught composition himself at the Amsterdam Conservatory. As a composer, his focus is on symphonic music: thus, he has written a Concerto for Flugelhorn (2002) and the composition Scale – le tombeau de Mahler (2010) for the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Metanoia (2012) for the Holland Symfonia and his Symphony No. 1 (also 2012) for the Saturday matinees at the Concertgebouw. His opera Hôtel de Pékin was premiered in 2008 at the inauguration of the Enschede Opera House. “During the second half of the 20th century, an explosion took place in our musical culture,” according to Jeths. “What is on offer now is more fragmented and variegated than ever. … Whether a composer succeeds doesn’t really depend on the concept of innovation. I think that passion and inspiration are more relevant nowadays.”