Composer in Residence Ellen Reid & Members of the Concertgebouw Orchestra

Ellen Reid

"I have never been to Amsterdam before. I have travelled a lot, but the Dutch capital is still on my list," says composer Ellen Reid. This season, Reid is a Composer in Residence at Het Concertgebouw. Composer and Sound Artist, that's what the Canadian calls himself. 'The world is bigger for me that way; my playing field is wider. We traditionally have an image of the word composer that seems a bit old-fashioned to me and feels limiting. For me, it's about creating sound and how you experience that sound.'

Ellen Reid and members of the Concertgebouw Orchestra

Ellen Reid makes sound installations, loves electro-acoustic music and works with sound in various ways. Tonight in the Kleine Zaal, she combines her work with other composers who appeal to her. 'The most important thing is that the evening tells a story. Every piece of music is about something, but you decide that yourself as the listener. Everyone experiences the concert in their own way and gets something different out of the pieces. Good music invites you to do that.'

With thanks to the benefactor of the Composer in Residence Fund.