Dolf de Kinkelder
Born 1953. Initially trained as a business economist, Dolf studied in Arnhem – The Netherlands – classical piano with Christopher Czaja Sager, and in Rotterdam composing & arranging jazz with Frans Elsen and contemporary-music composition with Klaas de Vries. He graduated in 1985 with the Rotterdam Conservatory Prize for Composition.
Dolf writes in a wide variety of styles and genres, creating works that range from solo pieces to compositions for symphonic orchestras. He worked for broadcasting orchestras such as Metropole Orkest, Promenade Orkest, Skymasters and RIAS Bigband Berlin, and arranged for the Rotterdam Filharmonisch Orkest, Het Gelders Orkest and the Metropole Orkest.
Commissioned by the Performing Arts Fund NL and KCG (Kunst & Cultuur Gelderland), Dolf wrote i.a. for Fanfare- and Marching Bands, Gelders Orkest, Guus Tangelder Bigband, Aurelia Saxophone Quartet, Meander Stringquartet, Suonore A Tre, Charivari Trio, SaxYon and Orchestra de ereprijs. For RKST21 – the orchestra of the 21st century – he wrote TAO II Augmented, conducted by Clark Rundall. He also wrote close harmony and pieces for choir, such as Mevrouw De Waal, meneer Van Rijn (choir, orchestra and percussion group) and Neergeslagen ogen, with which Jury- and Choirprizes were won in the Kunstbalie/Annie Bank Edition composition competition.
A wide range of pieces were written for large Percussion Ensembles. With CrissCross for 15 percussionists the Percussion Orchestra Crescendo won the 2nd Prize during the international contest for Percussion Orchestras at the World Music Contest Kerkrade. Funeral Blues – for the same group + saxophone soloist – premiered at the 2007 WASBE-concert in Killarny, Ireland. More theatrical percussion programs followed: i.a. Waanzin: one hour of percussion music for 18 percussionists, electronics, soundtrack, 9 singers/dancers and 6 other instrumentalists, and Rake Klappen, with pieces like A piece of Cake and Machine Machine.
Assigned by the NPS (Public Broadcasting) – in the context of De Nederlandse Muziekdagen 2003 – Dolf wrote Hollandse Tulpen for the Metropole Orkest, conducted by Ed Spanjaard: music on silent movie-fragments of the Nederlands Filmmuseum. Theatremusic was written for dozens of productions of Jeugdtheater Kwatta, and Music Theatre with the author Lydia Rood (De feestelijke ondergang van de familie Pesto), with dramatist/conductor/actor Wannie de Wijn (Tsaar Saltaan, prins Guidoon en de Zwaan) and with dramatist/conductor Theo Soontiëns (De Woaterwolf, Gilgamesh).
Since 1984 Dolf is professor at ArtEZ University of the Arts (Composition Jazz/Pop, Composition for Film & Theatre, Arranging, Music Theory and Music Theatre). He also conducts, gives workshops & Masterclasses. Assigned by the Performing Arts Fund Dolf is also involved in educational projects on music- and Highschools, and in creating new solo- and ensemblerepertoire for music-educational purposes.