Janco Verduin the Netherlands, 1972) studied Industrial Product Design, music technology and worked as a software engineer. He finished his Bachelor composition in 2007 and his Master in 2009 at the Royal Conservatory The Hague with Louis Andriessen, Martijn Padding , Gillius van Bergeijk, and Richard Ayres. He studied orchestration with Diderik Haakma Wagenaar and counterpoint with Cornelis de Bondt and Patrick van Deurzen. In his Master research he investigated grouping behaviour and textural counterpoint.

His concerto for orchestra 'Temps Brisé' was performed by Holland Symfonia at the Gaudeamus International Music Week 2009, and won both the encouraging prize as the audience prize. Earlier this year, his piece for piano quintet 'am Rande' won the first prize in the composition competition of the Zenith Festival.

In 2004 'fysica voor dichters' for baritone and piano (on a text by René Huigen) won the first prize in the 'VSB poetry prize for beginning composers'. In the same year he worked with the Nederlands Vocaal Laboratorium. One year later 'this godless endeavour', written for the Nieuw Ensemble, had its premiere at the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ in Amsterdam. A month after that his duo for violin and horn had its premiere in Germany, commissioned by John Stobart and Elisabeth Krause. In 2006 his ensemble piece 'portret', written for the occasion of the 400 years Rembrandt, was played four times in Leiden. Shortly after, 'points of departure' for two violins was played at the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, performed by Rosa Arnold and Ian van den Berk.

A cooperation with visual artist Melissa Cruz Garcia resulted in the asynchronous, simultaneous piece 'strngqrtt' for string quartet and the video projection/installation 'reunion'. After the summer Verduin worked with the Reflex striing quartet and visual artist David Benque. It resulted in an interdisciplinary piece with composition, improvisation, electronics, an installation and projection and was performed during the 'Oogst van de Nieuwe Muziek' in Paradiso, Amsterdam.

Commissioned by the Royal Conservatoire, Verduin wrote the piece 'to evoke Certain Things by means of ritualistic behaviour and circumstances' for five trumpets and four percussion players. In 2007 'Punching Judy' was played in Paradiso, Amsterdam by members of the ASKO ensemble.

Verduin writes mostly commissioned pieces: for Maartje Kraan 'eine se Übung in Erscheinungsformen und Zusammenhang' for violin solo, which later that year was rewritten for string quartet. Commissioned by the 'Ministerie van Verkeer en Waterstaat' (the Ministry of Traffic and Water affairs) he wrote a piece for woodwind ensemble, 'branding'. For clarinet quartet Dilegno '4°K', 'sfumato' for the Croatian Cantus Ansambl (performances in Croatia and during the Gaudeamus International Muziekweek 2008) and 'syzygy' for the Lignum clarinet ensemble (performances in the Netherlands and France).

Coming time Verduin will focus on writing a piece for piano solo for Marcel Worms, a piece for harmonium and string trio (or harmonium and solo cello, he hasn't made up his mind yet), commissioned by Dirk Luijmes and an ensemble piece for Modelo62. 'Refraction', a duo for violin and piano will be premiered at the Iordens viooldagen 2010, but before that, the quartet Fc Jongbloed will perform 'On time dilation and synchronicity' on several occasions, including the November Music Festival and Hamburg, Germany.

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hi-res photos by Willie Jan Bons