JOEL BONS

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Joël Bons is composer, founder and artistic director of the Nieuw Ensemble and the Atlas Ensemble and Professor of Composition at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, his hometown. Bons studied composition with Robert Heppener, Franco Donatoni and Brian Ferneyhough. His music has been performed by re- nowned ensembles in many countries. In 1998 Joël Bons and the ensemble were awarded the prestigious Prince Bernhard Foundation Music Prize. In 2002 he founded the Atlas Ensemble – a unique chamber orchestra uniting musicians from Asia and Europa – for which the Amsterdam Prize for the Arts was granted to him in 2005. His recent works include the intercultural Tour à Tour, Cadenzas and Green Dragon and chamber pieces such as Summer Dance, Revolutions and Pendule. In the fall of 2016 the premiere of the large scale Nomaden was a highlight at three festivals – Cello Biennale Amsterdam, November Music and Soundsofmusic. The work was written for and performed by world renowned cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras and the Atlas Ensemble and received the highest critical acclaim. Joël Bons gave lectures, master classes and composition work- shops throughout the world.