Pieter Smithuijsen
Pieter Smithuijsen
Composer, arranger, musician

1953

born

1978-2018

Played for a shorter or longer period in almost all the symphony orchestras of the Netherlands

1985-2016

Double bass player in the Asko/Schönberg Ensemble

1982-2016

Played about 35 operas and 40 ballets with Dutch National Opera & Ballet

1999-2009

Nepomuk Fortepiano Quintet: Production of four CD’s of unknown piano quintets with double bass from the early 19th centrury

2013

Received scholarship for beginning composers from a fund for arts, the Amsterdamse Fonds voor de Kunst

2016

The Amsterdam Cellobiënnale: conducting his music for 8 cello’s, four pianotracks and organ, accompanying the movie “Metropolis” (1927, Fritz Lang)

Collaborations with composers

  • Karl-Heinz Stockhausen (1 world premiere)

  • György Ligeti (1 world premiere)

  • John Cage

  • Pierre Boulez

  • Henri Dutillieux

  • Yannis Xenakis (1 world premiere)

  • Eliot Carter (1 world premiere)

  • Maurizio Kagel (1 world premiere)

  • Helmut Lachenmann

  • Peter Eötvös

  • Wolfgang Rihm (1 world premiere)

  • Heinz Holliger

  • Gyorgy Kurtag

  • Klas Torstensson (7 world premieres)

  • Unsuk Chin

  • Tan Dun (2 world premieres)

  • Alexander Raskatov (2 world premieres)

  • Jan Vriend (3 world premieres)

  • Theo Loevendie (2 world premieres)

  • Vanessa Lann (1 world premiere)

  • Mary Finsterer (2 world premieres)

  • Calliope Tsoupaki ( 3 world premieres)

  • Toru Takemitsu

  • Louis Andriessen ( 12 world premieres including 4 operas)

  • George Benjamin (2 world premieres)

Collaborations with conductors

  • Reinbert de Leeuw (1994-2016 Asko/Schönberg Ensemble)

  • Ernest Bour (1979 Residentie Orkest The Hague)

  • Kurt Sanderling (1982 Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra)

  • Hartmuth Haenchen (1990-2014 Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Netherlands Chamber Orchestra)

  • Georg Solti (1995 Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra)

  • Ivan Fisher (1988 Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra)

  • Pierre Boulez (1995 Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, 2001 Ensemble Modern )

  • Mstitslav Rostropovitsch (1995 Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra)

  • Peter Eötvös ( 1984, 1987, 1990 Asko/Schönberg Ensemble)

  • Edo de Waart (2000/2001 Netherlands Chamber Orchestra)

  • Hans Vonk (1987/88 Residency Orchestra, 1997 Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra)

  • Otto Tausk (2001/2 Maarten Altena Ensemble, 2009 Holland Symphonia, 2011 Asko/Schönberg Ensemble)

  • Frans Brüggen ( 2002-2006 Radio Chamber Orchestra)

  • Bernard Haitink (2002 Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra)

  • Klaus Tennsted (1980 Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra)

  • Riccardo Chailly ( 1994 Asko/Schönberg Ensemble)

  • George Benjamin (2010 Netherlands Chamber Orchestra)

  • Tan Dun (2003 Netherlands Chamber Orchestra)

  • Oliver Knussen (1985-2005)Asko/Schönberg Ensemble)

Currently

Pieter lives and works in Amsterdam and Etang sur Arroux (France). He’s always looking for new and exciting collaborations opportunities