Arnoud Noordegraaf (NL, 1974) is a composer who doesn't shy away from the narrative in his work. His productions form a class apart within Dutch contemporary music, combining interdisciplinary media in compositions and theatrical forms, resulting in 'a remarkable unity in style and atmosphere' (NRC Handelsblad).
Noordegraaf studied theatre at the Maastricht Theatre School and composition at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, with Gilius van Bergeijk and Martijn Padding. His musical style focuses on a strong interaction between live instruments and their electronic counterparts; a very surrealistic musical vocabulary, in which instruments or voices produce sounds beyond their natural capacities. The musician's struggle with an invisible counterpart complements the theatrical struggle of accepting the world as it is, a recurring theme in Noordegraaf's work.
Apart from writing an autonomous oeuvre of compositions and music theatre, Noordegraaf's production company Inexcelsisvideo produces film images for various operas and musical events. He has collaborated with composers and artists such as Michel van der Aa, Louis Andriessen, Hal Hartley and Gary Hill, as well as companies including De Nederlandse Opera, Holland Festival and Asko|Schonberg ensemble.
Noordegraaf has taught and lectured at Aldeburgh (UK), Beijing and Xiamen (Cn), and in the Netherlands. He was a guest teacher at the Rietveld Art Academy in Amsterdam.
