Alex Manassen

biography 2009
Alex Manassen (born 1950) studied from 1972 with Ton de Leeuw. In 1979 he got the so cal-led Prize for Composition at the Amsterdam Sweelinck Conservatoire.
He composed some pieces for orchestra and or¬chestra with solo instruments. Most of his œu¬vre is chamber music. Since 1985 nearly all of his pieces have been composed using computer sys¬tems.
Besides affinity with computer technology his interests cover the reciprocal effect of sound and images. In 1982 he composed Quintett on the re¬quest of the Holland Festival. This piece can be performed autonomously or live combined with three short abstract films 'OPUS 2,3,4' made by the German Walther Ruttmann from 1921-1925.
Many of his compositions are interrelated. The Helix-cycle contains a.o. I, Double helix and Helix. There is the song cycle Songs and interludes; the Air-cycle, with a.o. the Bassclarinet concerto and many compositions whose title starts with Air. During the eighties compositions were made in relation to the landscape because of protests against the strengthening of the dikes. The cycle Music for the landscape contains Lamento for a landscape, Requiem for a landscape, Farewell to a landscape, Lamento for the hanze towns and Hallo, hallo. At this moment he works on a long cycle of vocal compositions called Alphabet.
Alex Manassen's music has been performed in the Netherlands, Germany, England, France, Sweden, Indonesia, Italy, U.S.A., Poland, Russia and Israel, also on radio and TV.
In 1991 his composition A call to la source possible was the Dutch contribution to the International Rostrum of Composers.


Alex Manassen has received commissions from nearly all the Dutch funds like the Ministry of Culture, the Fund for the Creation of Music, the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts, the Bumafonds and others.
Until 1991 he was the leader (together with Wim de Ruiter) of the Electronic Music Studio at the Amsterdam Sweelinck Conservatoire where he also taught composition of elec¬tronic music and theory of contemporary mu¬sic.
Since 1991 he has been director of the Zwolle Conservatoire, where he also teaches compo¬si-tion. In 2001 he became the director of the Messiaen Academie (advanced courses of the conservatoires in Arnhem, Enschede and Zwolle). Since 2009 he changed from these management duties to coaching the research done by master students.
He has been or is active in several advice coun¬cils, a.o. at
 the Gaudeamus Foundation,
 the Amsterdam Arts Council,
 the International Guitar Weeks Zwolle,
 the Dutch Fund for the Performing Arts,
 the Dutch Composers League,
 the Dutch Music Council,
 the Dutch Musicians Council and
 the International Festival of Jewish Art Music
 the DELTA-ensemble (which he co-founded)
 the Dutch Culture Council.
list of works
DONEMUS Amsterdam (phone +31 20 344 60 00, fax +31 20 6733588) published the fol¬lo¬wing of his compositions:
katarsis-arsis (1973) organ
mei (1974) flute and string quartet
and death... (1974) low voice, flute and guitar [English text: Dylan Thomas]
i (1976) clarinet and piano
double helix (1978) clarinet, piano and orchestra
citius, altius, fortius (1979) variable instrumen¬ta¬tion
also sprach Walter (1979) soprano, bass clari¬net, tape ad lib.[Walter Maas]
pandarus sings (1980) mezzo-soprano, flute, E flat clari-net and piano [English text: William Shakespeare]
pandarus sings,higher (1980) soprano, flute, E flat clarinet and piano* [English text: William Shakespeare]
river waal (1980) one or more instruments, especially for beginners
interlude 1 (1980) oboe, bassoon, French horn and string trio*
sextet (1980) oboe, bassoon, French horn and string¬ trio
bass clarinet concerto (1981) bass/ad lib. double bass clarinet and orchestra
Quintett (1982) flute, clarinet and string trio
[also muic to play with Ruttmann's films Opus 2,3,4]
helix (1983/84) two marimbas
Denkmal an der Grenze des Frucht¬lan¬des (1983) soprano and 10 instru¬ments [Latin text: Paracelsus]
Denkmal an der Grenze des Frucht¬lan¬des (1983/87) sopra¬no and chamber.