Tom Schipper arranger

My name is Tom and I like to compose music, I like it a lot actually. My musical endeavors started when I taught myself how to play my first instruments: piano, drums and percussion. At first, my main focus was on pop/rock music, but this completely changed when I heard Igor Stravinsky’s ballet “The Firebird”. Overwhelmed by the beauty of the piece, I started to emerge myself more in classical music. However, stubborn as I was, I preferred improvising and thinking of my own stuff on the piano rather than studying someone else’s pieces.

In the following years, I started composing more and more. When I was 16, I knew for sure I wanted to study composition. After a preliminary year at the Royal Conservatory in the Hague, I started my Bachelor studies at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. In the Hague, my main teacher was Calliope Tsoupaki, and currently in Amsterdam they are Willem Jeths and Wim Henderickx. During my Bachelor studies, I have received masterclasses from Tan Dun, Fabio Nieder and Fons Merkies.

A major boost in my composition career has been the contest of the Dutch Wind Ensemble named “Op weg naar het nieuwjaarsconcert” (The road to the New year’s concert). I was lucky enough to participate four times, performing with them in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam on the 1st of January 2013 with my piece “Love’s Variety”. They give young composers, 18 or younger, the chance to have their music performed by top-notch musicians. These same musicians give the composers feedback along the way. A big shout out and many thanks for them, giving me and many other young composers the first step to pursue their compositional dreams.

Back to my music; I’ve written pieces for ensembles varying in size, from solo flute pieces to large orchestral works and from A Capella choral to percussion ensemble. I’ve been lucky enough to have many of these works performed in different venues, such as Felix Meritis Amsterdam, theatre Junushoff Wageningen, the Conservatory of Amsterdam and the aforementioned mentioned Concertgebouw Amsterdam.

I see arranging as a very important part of my activities. It does not only provide a deeper insight in pieces you might now, but it also broadens your instrumentation skills for your own compositions and it gives a deeper understanding of the workings of the orchestra. And let’s be honest, it is a valuable source of income in these hard times in the music industry.

I’ve arranged several pieces now, the pinnacle being my arrangement of John Powell’s film score for “How to train your Dragon” (closing in on 60.000 YouTube views!). Unfortunately, this arrangement has been denied for further publishing, but who knows what might come in the future!