Maarten Altena

Maarten van Regteren Altena (born January 22, 1943) is a Dutch composer and contrabassist. Altena attended the Conservatorium van Amsterdam (he studied contrabass) and graduated in 1968. Between 1980 and 1985, he studied composition with Robert Heppener.

Career Son of the art historian Iohan Quirijn van Regteren Altena, Altena first recorded with Theo Loevendie, after which he had the opportunity to be part of Marion Brown's trio that recorded Porto Novo along with Han Bennink. From that point onwards, his career focused on composition. In 1997 he stopped being an active member of this ensemble, and he left it completely in 2005 in order to be able to spend more time composing for other ensembles.

Compositions First Floor (1989) for the Netherlands Wind Ensemble Speaking (1990) for the Nieuwe Slagwerkgroep Amsterdam Pitch (1990) for the Mondriaan Kwartet Stave (1988) for tenor saxophonist Peter van Bergen Toonzucht (1991) for singer Jannie Pranger Puls (1993) for percussionist Johan Faber. Secret instructions (1992) for the Nederlands Studenten Orkest Code, (1992) of which Henk van der Meulen made a film for the NPS Zijdelings Afgesproken (1996) for the Maarten Altena Ensemble and Maatschappij Discordia Mijlpaal er trilt iets (1998), music theater based on a text by Remco Campert for Theatergroep Hollandia Een geestelijk verschiet / Horizon (1999) Eluard/Beckett (2000) for the Maarten Altena Ensemble Album (2001) for clarinetist David Kweksilber Mouthpiece II for the Netherlands Wind Ensemble La Dolce Ferita (Torquato Tasso) (2002) for the vocal Kassiopeia-kwintet and the Maarten Altena Ensemble Der tolle Mensch (Nietzsche) (2003) for the Netherlands Wind Ensemble arrangement of the Kindertotenlieder of Gustav Mahler for 15 instruments for the Netherlands Wind Ensemble Dans for the Maarten Altena Ensemble

Prizes In 1978 Altena received the Wessel Ilcken Prize for jazz and improvised music.