Michel van der Aa

Michel van der Aa is a multidisciplinary artist pur sang within contemporary music; he combines composition, film and stage direction and writes the scripts himself. His musical and visual language is enriched by the latest audiovisual technology. In his musical vocabulary, classical instruments, voices, electronic sound, actors, theatre and video flow seamlessly into one another. The focus of his work is always on the development of the individual who must define a position in a rapidly changing environment. Almost all of his works are realised as international co-productions. He works with artists of various disciplines and musical styles, including Janine Jansen, Kate Miller-Heidke, Klaus Maria Brandauer and Samuel West. He is a regular feature composer at renowned festivals: Holland Festival, Berliner Festspiele, Venice Biennale, Tokyo Music Festival, etc. Michel van der Aa is a much-lauded artist. He was awarded the Kagel Prize (2013), the Grawemeyer Award (2013) and the Johannes Vermeer Prize (2015), among others.

Photo credit: Bowie Verschuuren