Compositions

Jan Rokus van Roosendael took part in diverse practical composition courses, out of which resulted, among others, Chamber music (1982) for the Nieuw Ensemble and Irama (1983).

During various Gaudeamus weeks (1982,1985,1986) and the Holland Festival (Gala of Dutch music, 1985) works of his were performed. In this way in 1982 his song composition Facetten on texts by J.C.Bloem was premiered and during the Gala his Sinfonia per archi (1985).

His interest in non-western music is given expression in many pieces, among others, in the orchestral work Tala (1987) which was premiered by the Nederlands Studenten Orchestra in 1988.
In 1992 during the VARA Matinee Events (1991) was premiered as was Static Motion (1992) by the Nieuw Ensemble during the Nederlandse Music Days. In the same year Space of Time (1990) was performed by the Gelders Orchestra under the direction of Reinbert de Leeuw.

During the ISCM days in Mexico (1993) The Harp of Fire (1991, for Soprano and Ensemble) was performed. For the tour in 1993 of the Japanese LAMI ensemble Van Roosendael wrote Shifting Patterns (1993). For the Ensemble InterContemporain he wrote Sringhara (1993), which in January 1994 was premiered in Paris.

In 1998 Windows (1996) was selected for the ISCM days in Manchester and was performed by the BBC Philharmonic under Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. This work marked a turning point in his composing: from non-western to polyphonic, liturgically tinted music. During the Nederlands Music Days 1998 the Harp concerto David and Saul was premiered. The Nederlands Chamber Choir gave, on January 30 2002, the first performance of The Beatitudes in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.