Reinier van Houdt, pianist
© Marco Borggreve
Reinier van Houdt studied piano at the Liszt-Akademie in Budapest and at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague.
He has developed a special repertoire out of always very personal interests: be it in archival research, collaborations with composers, the “composing” and “staging” of concert programmes or in a fundamental but unorthodox study of the classical composers and performers.
He has established extensive experiences with the music of:
Alvin Curran: in 2001 première of Inner Cities 9/11 at Cultural Capital of Europe, later broadcast on Dutch radio, and of Playing House (In Memoriam Steve Lacy) with the MAE in 2004. Other concerts at MusicGallery in Toronto, RUMORI Amsterdam and Piano Adventures in Bremen.
Giacinto Scelsi: in 1994 première of the complete Suites for piano at the Scelsi-Festival in Rotterdam, later also in Montréal, Mills College in Oakland, Phoenix, Las Vegas and the Knitting Factory in New York.
Erik Satie: Marathon performances at the One Note Wonder-Festival in Groningen and the Satie-Festival at Dacapo Bremen. In preparation is the free performance of the complete Le Fils des Étoiles with videoscenery.
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji: after 4 years of study and deciphering manuscripts, the première of the 5 hour Symphony No. 4 for Piano Alone in Utrecht at the Sorabji Festival 2003 together with a radio broadcast, later also in Toronto and in Düsseldorf. A part appeared on CD at MusicWorks.
Maria de Alvear: première of La Tonta del Bote at the Apollohuis Eindhoven in 1997 and of LLENA at Kunstraum Düsseldorf in 2000, appeared on CD at WorldEdition. Currently working on a big piece called DEVON.
Robert Ashley: organization of “A Week with Robert Ashley” in The Hague, featuring performances of Wolfman, a three-piano version of the Columbus-Sonata, premières of pieces 40 years after they were written and the première of a new piece written by Ashley for MAE called Tapdancing in the Sand. Currently working on an opera to première at La Mama, New York and the Holland Festival in 2007.
Charles Ives: since 1985 performances of all the piano works, especially the Sonatas with the use of improvisation. Also free improvisations on the Songs in various bands and in 2005 played in the complete performance of the (unfinished) Universe Symphony.
Charlemagne Palestine: première of Higher Flyer in 2001. Duo performances in Paradiso Amsterdam, Duende Rotterdam and the ambulant tent the “4 Grand Piano Pavilion”.
Other productions: music theatre collaborations with Luc Ferrari on Cahiers du Soir, with Richard Ayres on 100 Things and with Jan van de Putte on Quelli che restano; playing and rehearsing the illustrious operas of Rita Knuistingh Neven; the complete performance of Cornelius Cardew’s The Great Learning, performance of Jerry Hunt’s Chimanzzi, concert with all the piano & oscillators-pieces of Alvin Lucier; CD with PlusMinus and Refrain by Stockhausen, on stage performances with dance companies Scapino and Leine & Roebana.
Reinier van Houdt is also a member of the MAE (Maarten Altena Ensemble, now led by Yannis Kyriakides) and the Ives Ensemble.
For further information contact Reinier van Houdt via his e-mail address: houdt.r.van@12move.nl.
Articles by Rainier van Houdt
Reinier van Houdt and René van Peer have written the article Finding one’s way through an immense building of music about Mr. van Houdt’s work on Sorabji’s Symphony No. 4 for Piano Alone.