Merlijn Twaalfhoven
- Actor
Composer Merlijn Twaalfhoven is most known by the remarkable projects
he creates, connecting styles, cultures but first of all people.
Twaalfhovens intention is to bridge worlds of contrast, and to mix
unusual elements to a new unity. Classic and modern, western and
oriental, groovy and subtle music is combined into a lively metaphor
for nowadays world. With the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, he
created his "Symphony for All", a composition that includes 150
children, non-professional players and even the audience. As another
example, he took "bridging the gap" literal and positioned 400
musicians on rooftops on both the Greek and Turkish side of the buffer
zone in Nicosia, the divided capital of Cyprus. Last years, Merlijn
worked in Jordan, Syria and Palestine. He combined the Amman Symphony
Orchestra with Palestinian refugee children, created a musical bridge
across the separation wall in the Occupied Territories and organized a
hidden festival in the Old City of Jerusalem where cultural diversity
could be celebrated by the local people. For his connecting work in the
Middle East, in 2011 he was awarded by UNESCO as 'Young Artist for
intercultural dialogue between the Arab and Western worlds". As
professor "Popkunst" at ArtEZ school of Arts, Merlijn developed ways to
connect art to society and to open the art world for new audiences.
