Rolf Straver (The Hague 1956) is a Dutch composer of mainly chamber and vocal works, some 170 opuses so far. He studied musicology, linguistics and literature in Holland at the Nijmegen University and in the former Soviet Union at the Leningrad (St. Petersburg) Rimsky Korsakov State Conservatory. The latter place left a noticeable ‘Russian’ trace in his music, favouring melody, polyphony and sonata form.
He started composing quite late, aged 50, and, like Charles Yves, as a part-time activity;
in his case combining composing with teaching at the HAN University of Applied Sciences in his hometown Nijmegen. From that later start his musical activities quickly intensified, with a vast creative output, leading to concerts and TV broadcasts abroad.
Soon after his late start Rolf Straver gained recognition in international competitions in Germany, Italy and the UK. In Germany he received the first prize in composition for his 3rd String Quartet from former Shostakovich student prof. Vadim Voyler. He started receiving commissions from outstanding musicians as well.
Right from the early years he found champions of his music in members of the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra, who premiered many chamber music works among which his A minor and F# minor string quartets and the First violin sonata . In 2012 he was selected, with Louis Andriessen, by the Yerevan New Camerata for a special viola recital highlighting different contemporary Dutch composers. For some of the eminent APhO chamber musicians, e.g. the violist Gor Hovhannisyan, he wrote several substantial works, such as the four viola sonatas. Koninklijk Concertgebouw Orchestra cellist Julia Tom selected his cello duo as best entry in her Prix de Salon project for Dutch folklore-inspired music. Rolf Straver also writes for unusual combinations e.g. the Basque Quintet op. 149 for tuba and string quartet, dedicated to Perry Hoogendijk, tubaist of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
As Rolf Straver started his journey into music on the classical guitar, he regularly includes this instrument in compositions raising interest of international artists: the Spanish Duo Qitayes premiered his first Fantasia para clarineta y guitarra on Spanish TV and his His First Guitar Quintet was broadcasted in Croatia, premiered in the Zagreb Lesinski Hall by guitarist István Römer and the Croatian Rucner Quartet.
The guitar was also the first instrument to accompany compositions inspired by his love for poetry of all nations. Starting with Portuguese (Florbela Espanca) and Spanish (Lorca, Jimenez) interpreted by sopranos Céline Barcaroli and Monica Monteiro; later also with piano: Armenian (Thumanyan), Russian (Pushkin, Tyuttchev) and the German romantic poets. In 2018 he composed a new setting of Goethe’s Earl King for baritone and string quartet. In 2020 he wrote a song cycle on the Rimas by Gustavo Bécquer for baritone and piano.
While being Dutch born, Rolf Straver feels musically a Russian soul. For him Russian composers such as Tchaikovsky, Taneyev, Shebalin, Myaskovsky, Shostakovich are inspirational masters. In 2017 the St. Petersburg State Conservatory hosted an international congress where five of his representative works were premiered. Owing much to the great St. Petersburg masters, who were all excellent string quartet composers, he decided to create a full set of string quartets in all keys, a wish that Shostakkovich had not been able to carry out to full completion. In 2020 the Union of St. Petersburg Composers organised a joint presentation, where his homage to Dimitri Shostakovich, the integral collection of 24 String Quartets in all keys, was dedicated to the city of St. Petersburg.
Besides his activities as a composer Rolf Straver lectures as a visiting professor in various subjects related to art, management and musicianship. He is also jury member of the Yerevan Guitar Society and honorary Board member of the annual Polilog i Sintez Isskustv Congress at the St. Petersburg Conservatory.
