Jeroen Leentjens
Composer
About
Jeroen Leentjens (Heerlen, 2003) is a young composer from the Netherlands, currently living and working in Amsterdam. Since 2023, he is pursuing his Bachelor of Composition at the Conservatory of Amsterdam, where he follows lessons with Willem Jeths and Meriç Artaç.
Already from an early age Jeroen was interested in music. He started playing the saxophone when he was seven years old and at the age of thirteen he began composing music. At first this was mostly electronic music, but later, at the age of sixteen, he became interested in writing instrumental music as well.
Jeroen is a versatile composer, writing music in many different genres, ranging from ensemble and orchestral works, to techno and soundscapes. His works are often inspired by the past and (inter)cultural connections, with influences from folk, popular, and electronic music. The fusion of these diverse elements results in a recognisable, exciting, and energetic style, as seen in his composition Radimlja (2025), based on historic Bosnian grave markings.
In 2025 he won the first prize and the audience award in the Calefax Composers Contest/Alba Rosa Viëtor Composition Competition with his work Radimlja for reed quintet. He also won the first prize in category 2at the Princess Christina Composition Concours with his work Scream of Liberty in 2022. His music has been played at Gaudeamus Festival (Changing Shapes, 2023), Opera Forward Festival (By the Light of the Moon, 2025) and Unheard Music Festival (Scream of Liberty, 2023). In March of 2026 his new work for symphony orchestra, Nigredo got premiered by the Conservatory of Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra at TivoliVredenburg and Muziekgebouw.
Concerts
On the 4th of September 2026 “Splendor Solis” for symphony orchestra will be premiered by the North Netherlands Orchestra.
SPOT/De Oosterpoort (small hall), 20:15 – Groningen, The Netherlands.
Tickets and information via: https://www.spotgroningen.nl/programma/noord-nederlands-orkest-251/
On the 12th of December 2026 “Nightfall” and “Reminiscence” for tenor saxophone and piano will be performed by Jeroen Leentjens (saxophone) and Linda Smolenaers (piano). Works by Mozart, Schubert, Debussy, and Demersseman will be performed as well.
Het Leopoldskerkje, 11:00 – Meerssen, The Netherlands.
More information via: https://www.hetleopoldskerkje.nl/agenda/ (Dutch)
On the 27th of May 2026 “Níng Shì”, a new work for recorder and electronics was performed by Cherilynne Wang.
Torpedo Theater | De Mus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
On the 29th of March 2026 “Nigredo” was performed by the symphony orchestra of the Conservatory of Amsterdam, conducted by César Ramos.
More information: https://www.muziekgebouw.nl/en/agenda/awakening-qv1j
Listen to Nigredo: https://youtu.be/iFZk7ji-7Vg?si=zNQNEsS_Pr4k8_xN
On the 27th of March 2026 “Nigredo” was performed by the symphony orchestra of the Conservatory of Amsterdam, conducted by César Ramos.
More information: https://www.tivolivredenburg.nl/agenda/51507084/lunchconcert-klassiek-27-03-2026
Listen to Nigredo: https://youtu.be/iFZk7ji-7Vg?si=zNQNEsS_Pr4k8_xN
Jeroen Leentjens won the first prize and public prize of the Alba Rosa Viëtor/Calefax Composers Competition with his work “Radimlja”, performed by the Dianto Reed Quintet at Muziekgebouw, Amsterdam.
More information: https://newmusicnow.nl/verken/article/jeroen-leentjens-winnaar-alba-rosa-vietor-calefax-composers-competition
On the 16th of March 2025 “By the Light of the Moon”, a piece for soprano and chamber orchestra was performed at the NedPho Koepel. The concert also included an arrangement for the same instrumentation of “So We’ll Go No More a Roving” by Maude Valérie White, also made by Jeroen Leentjens.
Sophia Hunt (soprano), Netherlands Chamber Orchestra
More information: https://orkest.nl/en/concerten/321-the-song-project-eng/
Listen to By the Light of the Moon: https://youtu.be/7s4RTKDcnb8?si=Dgi4-LEOO9G-kdVi
On the 15th of March 2025 “By the Light of the Moon”, a piece for soprano and chamber orchestra was performed at the Dutch National Opera as part of the Opera Forward Festival 2025. The concert also included an arrangement for the same instrumentation of “So We’ll Go No More a Roving” by Maude Valérie White, also made by Jeroen Leentjens.
Sophia Hunt (soprano), Netherlands Chamber Orchestra
Listen to By the Light of the Moon: https://youtu.be/7s4RTKDcnb8?si=Dgi4-LEOO9G-kdVi
On the 9th of March 2025 “By the Light of the Moon”, a piece for soprano and chamber orchestra was premiered at Theater Meervaart. The concert also included an arrangement for the same instrumentation of “So We’ll Go No More a Roving” by Maude Valérie White, also made by Jeroen Leentjens.
Sophia Hunt (soprano), Netherlands Chamber Orchestra
Listen to By the Light of the Moon: https://youtu.be/7s4RTKDcnb8?si=Dgi4-LEOO9G-kdVi
On the 10th of September 2023 “Changing Shapes”, a piece for bassoon and baritone saxophone, was premiered by Duo Dulfer & Witteveen at TivoliVredenburg (Hertz) as part of Gaudeamus Festival 2023.
More information: https://gaudeamus.nl/en/events/gaudeamus-festival-2023-sunday/duo-dulfer-witteveen/
On the 12th of September 2023 “The Scream of Liberty”, a piece for string quartet was performed by the Matangi Quartet at Korzo as part of the Unheard Music Festival 2023.
Listen to The Scream of Liberty: https://youtu.be/Nf1ko5Hy7DQ
Jeroen Leentjens won the first prize in category two of the Prinses Christina Composition Concours with his work “The Scream of Liberty”, performed by the Matangi Quartet at Podium Azijnfabriek, ‘s-Hertogenbosch.
Listen to The Scream of Liberty: https://youtu.be/Nf1ko5Hy7DQ
Selected Compositions
Nigredo (2026), for symphony orchestra
Nigredo, often translated to ‘blackness’ in English, and symbolised by a black sun, is a term in(renaissance) alchemy often associated with putrefaction and destruction. This destruction is the first stage of an alchemical process, it is a necessary step for the birth or creation of something new.
Performed on the 29th of March by the symphony orchestra of the Conservatory of Amsterdam with César Ramos conducting in Muziekgebouw, Amsterdam.
Nightfall/Reminiscence (2021/2022), for tenor saxophone and piano
“Nightfall” and “Reminiscence” are two pieces for piano and tenor saxophone of which high-quality recordings are available now on all streaming services.
News
2026.03
In March of 2026, Jeroen’s work Nigredo for symphony orchestra was premiered by the symphony orchestra of the Conservatory of Amsterdam, conducted by César Ramos, at TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht and the Muziekgebouw in Amsterdam. (Photo: Parcifal Werkman)
2026.03
In March of 2026, Jeroen’s work Nigredo for symphony orchestra was premiered by the symphony orchestra of the Conservatory of Amsterdam, conducted by César Ramos, at TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht and the Muziekgebouw in Amsterdam. (Photo: Parcifal Werkman)
2026.03
César Ramos conducts the premiere of Nigredo composed by Jeroen Leentjens in Muziekgebouw on the 29th of March 2026. (Photo: Parcifal Werkman)
2025.11
On Thursday 20 November 2025, Jeroen Leentjens won first prize and the audience award at the Alba Rosa Viëtor/Calefax Composition Competition with his piece Radimlja for reed quintet.
2025.11
On Thursday 20 November 2025, Jeroen Leentjens won first prize and the audience award at the Alba Rosa Viëtor/Calefax Composition Competition with his piece Radimlja for reed quintet, performed here by the Dianto Reed Quintet
2025.03
In March 2025, Jeroen’s work By the Light of the Moon, for soprano and chamber orchestra, was premiered at the Dutch National Opera, the NedPhO Koepel and Theater Meervaart, as part of the Opera Forward Festival 2025.
2022.11
On Sunday the 13th of November 2022, Jeroen Leentjens won the first prize of the Princess Christina Composition Concours (cat.2) with his work for string quartet The Scream of Liberty, performed by the Matangi String Quartet.
Gallery
