ERIK VAN DER WURFF (1945) studied music (piano, flute and contrabass) at the Conservatory of Utrecht and has since been working as composer, conductor, arranger and pianist.

He composes music for theatre; movies (such as Van de Koele Meren des Doods and Ciske de Rat); television series (De Legende van de Bokkerijders, Coverstory, Achter de Lach); international animation series (such as Janosch Traumstunde and Alfred Jodocus Kwak); six musicals; one folk opera; chamber music and piano and symphonic repertoires.

Erik has conducted the “Residentie Orkest”, the “Noordhollands Filharmonisch Orkest”, the “Gelders Orkest”, the “VRT Philharmonisch Orkest”, the “Bruckner Orchester” (Linz, Oostenrijk), the “NDR Pops Orchestra” and The American Symphony Orchestra. Since March 2008 he has been conducting the “VSOP” orchestra in the area of Utrecht.

He has done musical arrangements in contemporary and more serious genres, for more than a 100 well known artist, including Herman van Veen, Robert Long, Jasperina de Jong, Gerard Cox, Stef Bos, Jaap van Zweeden, Anner Bijlsma, Emmy Verhey, the Soloists of the Philharmonia (London) and Kings College Choir (Cambridge). He has also written countless arrangements for television and cinema (De Tweeling, Sloophamer, Leef!, Pluk van de Petteflet, In Oranje, Gebak van Krul), including many orchestrations for the “Metropole Orkest”.

As pianist, he has accompanied Herman van Veen for more than 40 years. In addition to this, he has also performed with Vera Mann, Gerard Cox, Robert Long and Simone Kleinsma. Erik also performs concerts, of mainly his own work, as pianist. Furthermore, he has workshops for composing and music theory, specifically for beginners.

He is involved in many productions for which he has been awarded an Edison. He has also been awarded the Golden Dog from EMI, the Louis Davids Prize for “Opzij Opzij Opzij” (Aside), the Golden Harp from the Conamus Foundation, the Golden Heart from the city of Rotterdam, the Golden Nutcracker from the Norma Foundation and the Art and Culture Prize from the municipality of De Bilt.

He is the only Dutch composer who has had two of his productions performed on Broadway: the youth musical “TipTop Tommy Care a Lot” (Lincoln Centre, 1995) and the symphonic fairy tale “Santa meets the Ice Dragon” (Beacon Theatre, 2004).

When, after the summer, we start a repetition for a show, and I see Erik with his worn out little suit case walking down the street, my heart leaps. For 40 years we have performed together, greeted each other, asked about the well being of each other’s families and each time started on the next journey. We work hard, talk little. He plays diligently, I sing drastically and talk. Everything is going to be all right. I got to know Erik during our years at the Conservatory in Utrecht. When he started I had already been there for a year. What he could do, I couldn’t and visa versa. That brought us together and made us what we are today: two middle aged men who share one heart for music and the theatre. Sometimes I wonder – who is the ship?; who is the wind?; which storm drives us forward?; how is it possible to sail in the same direction for so long? Going nowhere, from nowhere, without a single purpose other than to perform and listen to each other.