Arnold Marinissen

Percussionist

Since 2003 record label BVHaast has released Marinissen's three solo CDs, Traces of Cultures, Layered Rhythms and Percussionist Songs. This tryptich covers a wide range of repertoire for percussion, but also involves voice, musical saw and electronics. The CDs received rave reviews worldwide: "The infectious delight Marinissen brings to performances of contemporary music" (Signal to Noise, Winter 2006) "Marinissen ... an incredibly compelling percussionist, with or without mallets." (Trouw / Netherlands June '05) "Arnold Marinissen ... a high-flying Dutch percussionist ..." (New Zealand Listener, August '05) "percussionist extraordinaire Arnold Marinissen ... A wonderful collection of stimulating solo percussion performances." (Downtownmusicgalley.com / USA '04) "supreme interpretations and versatility of the chosen repertoire..." (Altri Suoni / Italy '04); "Marinissen can draw a thousand colours from his vibraphone, make a piece of scrap glimmer and make his drum skins sing" (Trouw / Netherlands March '03) "A very beautiful disc" (Percussions / France October '03). Further solo recordings include works by Franco Donatoni, Richard Rijnvos and Van der Aa.

Arnold Marinissen appeared as a soloist with a.o. the WDR Orchestra in Cologne, the Residentie Orchestra, the Noordhollands Philharmonisch Orchestra, the Amsterdam Sinfonietta, the Holland Symfonia, the Nieuw Ensemble and the Southern Sinfonia in New Zealand, in works by composers such as Harrison Birtwistle, Iannis Xenakis, Toru Takemitsu, Richard Rodney Bennett, Darius Milhaud and André Jolivet.

Marinissen extensively performs repertoire for solo percussion in- and outside The Netherlands. He received works from Michel van der Aa, Gerard Brophy, John Cage, Ron Ford, Christopher Fox, Michael Norris, Richard Rijnvos and many others. New works by a.o. Jim Gardner, Ross Harris, Hanna Kulenty, Massimo Mariani and Mayke Nas are on their way.

In January '05, former Frank Zappa-drummer Terry Bozzio and Arnold Marinissen collaborated as Artists in Residence at the Dutch Traces of Rhythm Festival. Recently Marinissen did a series of duo concerts with the Canadian soprano Barbara Hannigan, he performed at the Dutch Big Bang festival and at the Zagreb Biennial / ISCM days in Croatia. He did a series of concerts and masterclasses in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, and was guest at the Dutch Chamber Music Meeting and the Klap op de Vuurpijl festival in Amsterdam. In april he did three recitals in and around Volgograd (Russia).

In the coming year, Marinissen will be guest amongst others in Melbourne (Australia) and Wellington (New Zealand), at the Tromp Biennial in Eindhoven and in the Oosterpoort in Groningen (Netherlands) and at the Asia Pacific Festival (New Zealand).

Arnold Marinissen performs small scale unconducted chamber music with the Ives Ensemble and Ensemble S. He was artistic director of the Percussion Group The Hague, and is a frequently asked guest programmer in- and outside The Netherlands.

Arnold Marinissen studied at the Royal Conservatorium in The Hague, where he graduated with distinction and received the Prize for the Best Exam of the Year.