Margriet Ehlen facts for kids

Margriet Ehlen is a talented Dutch artist born on September 28, 1943. She is known for many things: writing poems, creating music, leading orchestras, and teaching classical music. She has made a big impact in the world of classical music and poetry.

Margriet Ehlen's Early Life and Education

Margriet Ehlen was born in a city called Heerlen in the Netherlands. From a young age, she showed a great interest in music. She decided to study music seriously and attended the Maastricht Academy of Music. Here, she earned a degree in music education. This means she learned how to teach music to others.

Learning from Music Masters

During her studies, Margriet Ehlen had the chance to learn from several important music teachers. She studied how to compose music with Gerard Kockelmans, Willem de Vries Robbé, and Robert Heppener. She also learned to play the piano from Bart Berman and Kees Steinroth. To become a conductor, she studied choir conducting with Jan Eelkema. These teachers helped her develop her many musical skills.

Teaching Music to Students

After finishing her studies, Margriet Ehlen became a teacher. She taught at colleges where future teachers learn their skills. She worked in different cities in the Netherlands, including Rotterdam, Maastricht, and Sittard. Sharing her knowledge and love for music with students was an important part of her career.

Margriet Ehlen's Creative Work

Margriet Ehlen is a very creative person. She writes her own poems and also creates music. She is especially known for writing music for voices, which means she composes songs for solo singers and for choirs.

Setting Poems to Music

Many of Margriet Ehlen's musical pieces for voice use words from famous poems. She takes beautiful poems and sets them to music, making them even more expressive. She has used texts by well-known poets like Gerrit Achterberg, Anna Bijns, Emily Dickinson, Wiel Kusters, and Elly de Waard. She is also a talented poet herself and has won awards for her writing.

Publishing Her Music

Many of Margriet Ehlen's musical works have been published. A special Dutch company called Donemus has published a lot of her music. Donemus is a company that helps new classical composers share their work with the world. Some of her other pieces were published by Rieks Sodenkamp in Maastricht.

Notable Musical Compositions

Margriet Ehlen has composed many different pieces of music over the years. Here are some examples of her works:

• 1979 Cyclus I: Five songs for voice and piano, based on poems by Martin Boot.
• 1980 Three songs: More songs for voice and piano, also using texts by Martin Boot.
• 1984 Palimpseste: Four songs for a mezzo-soprano (a type of female singer) and piano, using poems by Wiel Kusters.
• 1988 And send the Rose to you: Ten songs for a choir, with words from poems by Emily Dickinson and Elly de Waard.
• 1988 Wijfken, staat oppe: A piece for a soprano (another type of female singer) and flute, based on a text by Anna Bijnstriptiek.
• 1990 Euridyce: A group of seven songs for mezzo-soprano and a group of four flutes, using poems by Gerrit Achterberg.
• 1990 Three small songs: Pieces for flute and a medium voice, based on poems by Hadewych Laugs.
• 1994 Dröm: A piece for soprano and flute, using a text by Birgitta Buch.
• 1995 Prèsque Berceuse: For soprano, flute, and harpsichord or piano, based on a text by H. Leopold.
• 1995 Too few the mornings be: A piece for soprano, saxophone, horn, and piano.
• 2003 For the Distant: A short opera for soprano, two percussion orchestras, two dancers, video, and two choirs.
• 2006 Ignis Caritas: A piece for a carillon (a musical instrument with bells), based on a text written by Margriet Ehlen herself.
• 2012 The Iron Lady of Maastricht: A piece for a counter tenor (a type of male singer) and saxophone, based on a text by Daan Doesborgh.

Awards and Recognition

Margriet Ehlen's talent as a poet has been recognized with several awards.

• 1997 Peter Kempkens Literature Award: This award honored her literary work.
• 1995-1999 Veldeke awards: She won four prizes from the Veldeke organization, which celebrates Limburg's language and culture.

These awards show how much her writing is appreciated.

See also

In Spanish: Margriet Ehlen para niños