interview & reviews
Celia Swart (1994, NL) is a contemporary music composer and multimedia artist.
Her works could be described as ‘New Simplicity’, they do a lot with few elements and therefore place an important focus on their sound world. She has a conceptual approach to her works and although her music is non-narrative music, Celia incorporates a narrative structure in the concept that is driven by personal themes such as isolation, insecurity, fears and dreams.
Celia Swart has written several compositions for the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Resonances XXI (FR) and the Bang on a Can Summer Festival Ensemble (USA), among others. Her music has been performed at various venues and festivals such as Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, Bimhuis, TivoliVredenburg, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (UK), Bang on a Can Loud Weekend (US), Collège Néerlandais in Paris (FR) and has been broadcast on radio and television (NPO Radio4 and NPO1 Vrije Geluiden (NL), BBC Radio3 (UK).
Celia holds a bachelor (2018) and masters (2021) composition degree from the Composition Department of the Royal Conservatoire The Hague, and is a composition teacher at the composition department of Fontys since 2021, and gives guest lectures and workshops at the Prins Claus Conservatory in Groningen.
music composed for het Concertgebouworkest, Remy van Kesteren, Calefax & Paulien Cornelisse, Nederlands Studenten Kamerkoor, Ilse Kok, Black Pencil, Dudok Quartet Amsterdam, Kluster5, orgel-panfluit duo Geerten van de Wetering & Matthijs Koene, Shane van Neerden, Toonzetters, Vonk, Resonances XII, hobo duo Arthur Klaassens en Vincent van Wijk, Syrene Saxofoon Quartet, XTRO Percussion, Lipstick Percussion Duo, Brisk Amsterdam Recorder Quartet, Oerknal!, Nieuw Ensemble, Pieter van Loenen, Bang on a Can Festival ensemble, saxofoon-piano duo Femke Steketee & Tobias Borsboom, Herz Ensemble, Het Residentie Orkest, Ricciotti ensemble, Tollens Ensemble, Alfian Emir Adytia and music performed by Antony Baryshevsky Saskia Lankhoorn, Doelen ensemble, Jelmer de Moed, Rik Kuppen,
music performed in venues & festivals at Gaudeamus, Concertgebouw, November Music Festival, De Link, Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, Muziekgebouw Eindhoven, Korzo, De Doelen, Grachten Festival, Moste Modern Festival, Zeeuwse Concertzaal, Bang on a Can Music Summer Festival (USA), Collège néerlandais Paris, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (UK), Time of Music Festival (Finland), De Duif, TivoliVredenburg, Arminius Rotterdam, Nazomer festival Zeeland, International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival (Cyprus), Willem Twee Toonzaal, Kloosterkerk, Nieuwe Kerk Den Haag, Orgelpark, Sint Jacobskerk Vlissingen, Grote Kerk Zwolle, Rumpts Kerkje, Voormalig Watertoren Axel, Grey Space in the Middle, Cultureel Centrum Drommedaris, Stadsgehoorzaal Leiden, Theater De Fransche School Culemborg, Flint Amersfoort, Musis, Splendor, Oranjewoud Festival, Festival Dag in de Branding, Amare, Intro in Situ, TROMP Percussion Festival, Festival Wonderfeel, Mittelfest (Italy), Sounds of Music, Amsterdam Dance Event, Rewire, Arnold Schönberghall Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag.