Biography

Alex van den Broek has studied under the tutelage of John Cousins, Chris Cree-Brown and Elaine Dobson. He has a Bachelor of Music from University of Canterbury (2004), and also studied at CPIT Jazz School majoring in Composition and Arranging. He is currently studying towards Honours in Composition at the University of Canterbury.

Alex received his first professional premiere by 175East (2003) and has been awarded four compositional awards The Douglas Lilburn Prize (2003/2004); the Michael Toovey Memorial Prize (2003); The Madrigal Singers Prize (2004). He is also the recipient of two compositional grants from Creative New Zealand, the first in 2005 for which he composed a work for flute, oboe, clarinet and piano. His second was in 2008 for a work for mixed discipline ensemble (Classical and Jazz) and contemporary dancer. This work will premiere in Christchuch in November 2009.

Alex is the co-founder and musical director of the Silencio Ensemble, a ten piece contemporary ensemble that integrates jazz and classical styles in composition and performance. The Silencio Ensemble regularly commission and perform work from New Zealand composers and have established a relationship with the Christchurch Art Gallery. This culminated in the highly successful Art and Socialism show which combined theatre, art and music as a companion to the William Morris exhibition in 2008. In 2009 the Silencio Ensemble developed and will perform their show Listen/Rita in conjunction with the Rita Angus exhibition.

Alex also plays trumpet and keyboard in a variety of ensembles and bands, as well as working as a freelance composer, arranger and conductor for a broad cross-section of groups and ensembles covering a range of genre including choral, jazz and classical.

Selected Works

• Works (12)