Monique Krüs
composer
Scene from Pirate Queen (2024)
Monique Krüs
composer
Scene from Pirate Queen (2024)
Grief of Gravity - av. at
BATON Music
Michael Wilmering and Syrian dancer Ahmad Joudeh
Early in the first COVID-19 lockdown in Holland, composer/pianist and producer Heather Pinkham paired twelve composers with twelve musicians. With the idea to create Music for Empty Spaces: pieces that revealed something about the composer's experience in home isolation. Krüs was paired with baritone Frederic Bergman.
Xandra Knebel wrote the text of No One is an Island based on the well-known poem from 1624 by John Donne and phrases of Coleridge. Krüs composed a soundtrack which, combined with Bergman's voice, sounds like a mini opera. Ending in the hopeful assumption we will finds new ways to reach each other.
Preview
"Van der Meer can make full use of her broad expressiveness
in Je vis, je meurs, three intense songs by Monique Krüs."
Volkskrant
CD/SPOTIFY: La Lumiere
Je vis, je meurs, last song
Monique Krüs, sopraan and Douw Fonda, cellist
Opgenomen in de lente van 2016 in het Sarphati Huis te Amsterdam
Preview
Language
Text
Duration
Commission
Premiere
Performers
Italian
Antonio Ghislanzoni, same text Verdi used in Aida
5'10
Leeuwarden Culturele Hoofdstad, Opera Spanga
July 24, 2018
Chorus of Opera Spanga
A commission to four composers to create new Triumphal Marches.
There was a brass band, an Arabian twist, a singer- song-writer and
Krüs’ version: with an opera chorus.
Live performance before every Aida show, on the Opera Spanga premisses.
Opera chorus of Aida in Spanga (NL)
Language
Text
Duration
Commission
Premiere
Performers
Nederlands
Gable Roelofsen
Common Chorale Koor
21 december 2018, Maastricht
8'00
Romy and Gable Roelofsen of Het Geluid, creators of many socially engaged opera-projects and winners of Prins Bernhard Fundation Inspiration Prize, invited Krüs to compose and conduct the 'Requiem for Shame' for Common Chorale, a beautiful community-choir project in Maastricht. A rhythmical, theatrical piece, well singable for amateur singers
Krüs conducting the Common Chorale Chorus
Language
Text
Duration
Commission
Premiere
Performers
English
Corina van Eijk
4'00
Teatru Manoel, Valletta
September 22, 2018
Choir and Ensemble of Teatru Manoel
Up-tempo scene from the opera Corto Maltese (Krüs, 2018) where pirates want to trick the captain of a British ship into trusting them, so they can plunder the boat. Small solos for sopr and alto from the choir
Huge poster on Valletta's main square to announce the opera
Language
Text
Duration
Commission
English
Monique Krüs
3'00
Private
This work was inspired by the opera Corto Maltese (Krüs, 2018). Krüs used the music to create a calming lovesong for a capella voices and with an arrangment for string quartet.
Language
Text
Duration
Commission
Premiere
Performers
Nederlands
Herman van Tongerloo
15'05
Stichting Utrechts Requiem
January 31, 2022
Postland Ensemble
Preview
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Text
Duration
Commission
Premiere
Performers
German
Monique Krüs
1'15
Toonkunst Rotterdam
June 22, 2019
Toonkunst Rotterdam
Nederlands
Herman van Tongerloo
8'00
Stichting Utrechts Requiem
January 31, 2022
Postland Ensemble
Language
Text
Duration
Commission
Premiere
Performers
Nederlands
Herman van Tongerloo
8'00
Stichting Utrechts Requiem
January 31, 2022
Postland Ensemble
Director and documentary maker Ellen Blom collected life stories from Utrecht citizens, to create a Requiem. A Requiem as a goodbye to hardship, to celebrate life and inspire others. Every other year there's a new edition, for which Krüs wrote already 5 works: Onrust and Karma is een Bitch! , Chaos, Eindelijk gehoord and Huis van de rijzende zon.
2025 will bring another edition to which Krüs will contribute.
Esther Kuiper, mezzosoprano, NEON Project Choir, Insomnio Ensemble conducted
by Ulrich Pöhl. Live from TivoliVredenburg Utrecht, Dutch Radio 4 broadcast
Preview
Language
Text
Duration
Commission
Premiere
Performers
Dutch
Hendrik Marsman
4'30
The Gents
September 15, 2019
The Gents men's choir
The famous Dutch poem.
More performances a.o.
- Slotkoor 25 juli 2020, TTBB. Their YouTube version was part of the virtual International Choir Festival in Sao Paolo, Brasil December 2020
- Michael Wilmering and Jabiz Hafizi, baritone and piano, November 2020. They won the 1st prize in an Online Competition Challenge during a concert for the Dutch Embassy in Iran, November 2020.
- Utrecht Kamerkoor conducted by Bauwien van der Meer.
March 25, 2022 in the Pieterskerk Utrecht.
Slotkoor conducted by Fokko
Oldenhuis, July 25, 2020 Utrecht
Nederlands
Miek Smilde
12'30
Miek Smilde
20 juli 2021 Utrecht
Slotkoor conducted by Fokko Oldenhuis
English
Xandra Knebel
14'00
Zembla Music
An initiative to create accessible choir music for amateur singers.
A romantic, feel good love song
Language
Text
Duration
Commission
Premiere
Performers
Nederlands
Herman van Tongerloo
15'05
Stichting Utrechts Requiem
January 31, 2022
Postland Ensemble
Preview
Language
Duration
Commission
Premiere
Performers
Latin
23'00
Bachcantates Utrecht t.g.v hun 55 jarig bestaan alsmede
de viering van de 900-ste verjaardag van de stad Utrecht
September 11, 2022 Geertekerk in Utrecht.
Choir and orchestra of Bachcantatediensten Utrecht
conducted by Gerrit Maas
Soloists Esther Kouwenhoven, soprano and Merel van Schie, alto, choir and orchestra of the Bachcantates Utrecht - with students of the Kathedrale Kerkschool in Utrecht - en dirigent Gerrit Maas made the premiere into a huge happening. Evert Jan Nachtegaal, host of several radioshows at the Concertzender "Het dak van de Geertekerk ging eraf!" The Domcantorij, choir and orchestra of the Dom Cathedral in Utrecht conducted by Remco de Graas performed Magnificat on December 10, 2022 also with Esther Kouwenhoven and Merel van Schie.
Watch a few highlights of the concert
on December 10, 2022 in Utrecht:
Commissioned by Ruud Keulen to commemorate the death of his wife Caren on August 4, 2010. The notes C and E, her initials, have been used throughout the composition which ends in C major.
Listen on Spotify or on Soundcloud
Orchis on Soundcloud, just click the green button
Listen here to a part of Orchis, on Spotify you can hear the whole composition
Caroline Wiedenhoff wrote a beautiful, atmospheric poem that inspired Krüs to write this work.
NedPho GO! are to be played in hospitals, schools and elderly homes. Since the premiere they have played it at least 80 times! Roland Kieft (who hosted the premiere):
'Love it! It reminds me of the music in de movie Chocolat.’
L-R Martin Kaaij, Roland Kieft and Michiel Holtrop at the premiere of Bloesem in the Concertgebouw Amsterdam
Krüs started to compose at a young age. In the beginning of the 21st century she wanted to write more for live musicians and one of the first works were short pieces for piano solo.
Every once in a while she adds another Mozartique to the list.
Dutch pianist Marcel Worms invited a number of composers to write a blues for him. Krüs was one of them. Rembrandt van Rijns love for his wife Saskia - who passed away at an early age - is the theme of the blues she composed for Worms.
This work is part of the album Blues in red, white and blue published by peermusic in Hamburg and also appeared on CD.
From the score: Rembrandt paints, large and small brush strokes,
he paints the light, shapes the dark
delicate high notes, firm low notes
then his thoughts wander, he thinks of Saskia
paintbrush still in hand
music tranquil, clear, like a calm heartbeat
For renowned flutist Eleonore Pameijer, Krüs composed a cycle inspired by the famous Chainbridge in Budapest, the first bridge to connect the Hungarian cities of Buda and Pest in 1849. Together with pianist Lodewijk Crommelin she performed it in one of the Uilenburger Concerts in Amsterdam on May 14th, 2012. The piece requires a bit of acting from both players.
From the score:
Flute and piano are trying to reach each other, each from a different
side of the bridge. Like a love duet, audacious, hesitating, inviting.
Shy at first, then hearts open. A dance of joy, ending in a quiet embrace
1. Watching, trying
2. Opening up
3. Dancing on the bridge.
Language
Duration
Commission
Premiere
Performers
Latin
23'00
Bachcantates Utrecht t.g.v hun 55 jarig bestaan alsmede
de viering van de 900-ste verjaardag van de stad Utrecht
September 11, 2022 Geertekerk in Utrecht.
Choir and orchestra of Bachcantatediensten Utrecht
conducted by Gerrit Maas
Soloists Esther Kouwenhoven, soprano and Merel van Schie, alto, choir and orchestra of the Bachcantates Utrecht - with students of the Kathedrale Kerkschool in Utrecht - en dirigent Gerrit Maas made the premiere into a huge happening. Evert Jan Nachtegaal, host of several radioshows at the Concertzender "Het dak van de Geertekerk ging eraf!" The Domcantorij, choir and orchestra of the Dom Cathedral in Utrecht conducted by Remco de Graas performed Magnificat on December 10, 2022 also with Esther Kouwenhoven and Merel van Schie.
Watch a few highlights of the concert
on December 10, 2022 in Utrecht:
We komen eraan at the Parade Utrecht November 9th, 2019
Nederlands
Herman van Tongerloo
8'00
Stichting Utrechts Requiem
January 31, 2022
Postland Ensemble
Language
Text
Duration
Commission
Premiere
Performers
Nederlands
Herman van Tongerloo
8'00
Stichting Utrechts Requiem
January 31, 2022
Postland Ensemble
Preview
Language
Text
Duration
English
Hein van Eekert
10'00
Preview
