Johan van Kreij
sonologist
Johan van Kreij’s practice consists of a mix of composing, improvising, making and executing in the field of electronic music. He received his training at the Institute of Sonology, part of the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, Netherlands, graduating in 1998. At the same conservatory he acquired his masters degree in Composition in 2017.
Cooperating with various artists, he has been involved in a wide variety of projects in the field of improvised music, music theatre, dance, architecture and installations. In these projects he worked with Justin Bennett, Peter van Bergen, Marie Guilleray, Paul Koek, Kas Oosterhuis, Dick Raaijmakers, Ted Stoffer, Frances Marie Uitti and many others.
In the recent years Johan is actively involved in artistic research. His own research into the works of composer Dick Raaijmakers produced an extensive outcome in the form of compositions, written documentation and software. Regularly he is asked to give presentations on this work. In the context of the PHD research of Peter van Bergen into instability in the creative relation between musician and computer, he has contributed, apart as musician, by developing complex systems that have been employed in a great number of performances.
In addition to his artistic activities, Johan is actively involved in contributing to the music scene in The Hague. On the one hand in his position as teacher at the Institute of Sonology, but also he is participating in the arts incubator DCR, in the process of setting up the ARTEk recording studio with Henry Vega, and he is member of staff at Studio LOOS.
“Onze wereld is er een waar technische innovatie grote problemen hebben veroorzaakt. Sommige
innovatieve ideeën om die problemen te lijf te gaan leiden soms tot het verergeren van die
problemen. Innovatie omwille van innovatie is een doodlopend pad. Innovatieve kunst is alleen
mogelijk met een sterk historisch besef. Vanuit dat oogpunt is traditie—of gegrond zijn daarin—geen
beperking maar juist een kracht. Zonder die kracht wordt innovatie te gemakkelijk het eenvoudigweg
meegevoerd worden met de laatste trends. Werkelijke innovatie betekent vanuit dat historische
besef in staat zijn nieuwe gezichtsvelden te openen die leiden tot grondige introspectie.”