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Nikolaï Clavier (1989) is an award-winning composer based in the Netherlands. He graduated with a Master in Film Scoring from the Conservatory or Amsterdam in 2020 and a Master of Music at Fontys Hogeschool voor de Kunsten in 2018. As a composer with a classical background, he has in the past 10 years built up a repertoire of over 150 compositions and arrangements, including the scoring of 10 short films, 5 commercials and a video game in the past two years.  Aside from working actively as a film composer, Clavier is the violist in the twice award-winning Arthema String Quartet, and his master research Orchestrating Cinematic String Quartets (2018) has given him a renown within the international academic community (1st prize Fontys Research Competition 2018). He is currently working as a film and media composer in Utrecht, involved in projects such as the video game At Eve’s Wake (Sugar Rush Studios), the short films The Colour or a Goodbye and Dienstmeid#2 and an international documentary with award-winning filmmaker May Taherzadeh.

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The most popular works from Nikolaï Clavier include his three graduation films at the Dutch Film Academy Waarom Bleef Je Niet Voor Mij? (winner: Student Academy Awards 2021, VPRO Documentaireprijs 2020, AHK eindwerksprijs & publiekprijs 2020, KNF Award 2020), Terug Naar Zotteken Waes (selection: In the Palace Short Film Festival 2021, Imagine Film Festival 2021) and Blauwe Maandag (Winner: Buma Music In Motion 2021). In addition to this, he has been scoring popular short films and commercials such as Clinch (2020), Avontuur (2020) and Impasse (2019). In the beginning of 2021 he scored the short film Ode To a Sleeping City in which six time Dutch champion in figure skating Niki Wories dances on the frozen canals of Amsterdam. The video now has over 130.000 views on YouTube.
 

After his master thesis, Orchestrating Cinematic String Quartets, which was awarded the first prize in the national research competition in 2018, Clavier has gained specialized knowledge about string scoring techniques. This can be seen in some of his most popular film music arrangements for string quartet, such as The Lord of The Rings – Tone Poem in 5 Movements, John Williams Medley and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. As musician, he has performed with prestigious ensembles such as Oslo Camerata, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, The Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Libero Strijkorkest, Doordse Kamerorkest and Cugnon Consort. In 2013 he was nominated for the international composer’s competition Simply Stunning and he is currently playing in the twice award-winning ensemble Arthema String Quartet.

RESUMÉ

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EDUCATION

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2018-2020

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2016-2018

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2013-2014

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2009-2013

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2005-2008

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2005-2009

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Master Composing for Film
Conservatory of Amsterdam/Dutch Film Academy (The Netherlands)

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Master of Music
Fontys Hoge School voor den Kunsten (Tilburg, The Netherlands)

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Composition, Orchestration and Arranging
University of Agder (Kristiansand, Norway)

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Musical Performance Bachelor and Practical Pedagogical Education (PPU)
Barratt Due Music Institute (Oslo, Norway)

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General University Admissions Certification – Music Specification
St. Svithun Secondary High School (Stavanger, Norway)

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Stavanger Music Talent Program (LiS) and Barratt Due Young Talents

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BUMA Music in Motion

New Talent Award

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Conservatorium van Amsterdam Scholarship

Scholarship

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Willem Twee Chamber Music Competition
1st prize – audience prize 

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Fontys Artistic Research Competition
1st prize

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Norwegian Grammy Awards
Ensemble 1B1 – winner best classical album

Playing for a Future
Appointed Ambassador

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The Norwegian Arts Councils grant
Funding the project “Music in Bolivia”

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Simply Stunning Composers Competition

Nominated: Introduction and Fugue in d-minor

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Per Barkved’s Endowment

Scholarship

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Alf J. Aareskjold’s Memorial Fund
Scholarship

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  AWARDS/GRANTS

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May 2021

July 2018

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May 2018

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May 2018

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March 2015

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January 2015

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June 2014

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March 2014

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May 2008

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2006

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3 Bolivian Children Songs (String orchestra)
Commissioned by Stavanger Cultural Center for a charity concert (Stavanger, Norway)

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The Nightingale of Paradise (Choir SATB)
Commissioned by Oslo Bahá’í Community, performed thrice the same year. (Oslo, Norway)

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The Trumpet Blast
Original Score: Theatre Performance dir. S. Ellund. (Fagernes, Norway)

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Silencio en C (String orchestra and solo violin)
Comissioned by Richardo Ortiz and the San Ignacio youth orchestra. First performed at the Santa Cruz Chamber Music Festival 2017. (Bolivia)

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Johanna Schubarth – know that you are never alone
Original Score: Theatre Performance dir. S. Ellund. (Fagernes, Norway)

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Una Aventura Chiquitana (Symphony Orchestra and Latin percussion)
Commissioned by Valdres Summer Symphony Festival. (Norway)

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Olympic Anthem
String Quartet Arrangement commissioned by YOG (Youth Olympic Committee). (Lillehammer, Norway)

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Sufficient Unto Me (solo piano)
Commissioned by pianist Mea Karvonnen for her album ‘A Nightingales Cry’ (Released same year, Helsinki, Finland)
 

Bolivian Folk Melodies Vol.1-2
Gathering, arranging and re-composing over 20-30 Bolivian folk melodies threatened of extinction. (Santa Cruz, Bolivia)

Southern Spring (solo piano)
Commissioned by pianist Mark Candassamy (Kristiansand, Norway)

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Introduction and Fugue for violin and piano
Award nominated piece commissioned by violinist Minh Thien Nguyen (Oslo, Norway)

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The Friendship Island – a children’s musical (string quartet/tenor)
Comissioned by Dextra Musica, went on tour 3 years in a row (Oslo, Norway)
 

Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá (solo viola)
Commissioned for a dance performance in Tilburg, Netherlands. Performed around Europe more than 20 times since then

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COMMISSIONS

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Feb 2018

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Aug 2017

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July 2017

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Nov 2016

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July 2016

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July 2016

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Feb 2016

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March 2015

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2014-2015

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June 2014

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Mar 2014

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June 2013

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March 2012

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INSTRUMENTAL EXPERTISE

• Viola & Broque Viola

• Real and Virtual Orchestration

• Nylon String Guitar

• Piano: Classical, Jazz, Pop and Basso Continuo

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NOTEWORTHY JOBS, PERFORMANCES and PROJECTS

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2017-

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2014-

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2015-

June 2018

June 2018

2017-2018

Oct 2017

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Sept 2017

2016-2018

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2016-2018

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2016-2017

Feb 2016

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Apr-May 2014

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jan 2014

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Nov-des 2013
Sept 2013-Jul 2014

Apr-June 2013

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May 2013

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Mar 2014

June 2012

Mai 2012

Aug-Sept 2011

Jun 2013

Sept 2011

Aug 2011

2010-2013

Nov 2010

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Nov 2010

Aug 2010

Mar 2010

2007-2008

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Arthema String Quartet, playing concerts in Concertgebouw Amsterdam and Muziekgebouw Eindhoven, Schouwburg Theater, Goirle, Nuland, Theatre Festival Boulevard, and winner of the Willem Twee competition. (‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands)

Teacher, performer and group instructor at the masterclass Valdres Summer Symphony (Fagernes, Norway)

Teacher and instructor at the masterclass Halsnøy Orkesterkurs (Bergen, Norway)

Solo violist in the musical A Little Night Music, Schouburg Theater Tilburg

Levenslied Festival Orchestra, violist (Tilburg)

Helmond-Venray Symphony Orchestra, section leader and instructor

Solo performances in Pulchri Studios (Den Haag) and Utrecht University Aula in commemoration of Bahá’u’lláh’s 200th anniversary

Solo violist on NPO broadcasted concert in Sint-Jacobskerk den Haag

Orchestre Polyptique, 2-year project performing Frank Martin in churches across the Netherlands and Germany

Fontys Sinfonietta, performing in Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Muziekgebouw Eindhoven and Cenakel Tilburg.

Sága String Quartet, concerts in Hurwenen, Zeeland, Amsterdam, ‘s- Hertogenbosch

Quartet performances for Norwegian Prince, and prime minister, and for 7.000 audiences at the Youth Olympic Games. (Lillehammer, Norway)

Solo violist in the critically acclaimed staging of Les Misérables in Kilden Concert Hall. (Kristiansand, Norway)

Arrangements of the Lord of the Rings music for string quartet is being published by Norsk Noteservice (over 80.000 views on YouTube)

Wagner-orchestra at the University of Gothenburg (Sweeden)

Founder and participant in the Jegersberg Quartet (Kristiansand, Norway)

Composer, performer and arranger in the children’s musical “Friend Island”; Oslo-tour sponsored by Dextra Musica (Oslo, Norway)

Concert with NMH (Norwegian Music Academy) and KORK (Norwegian Broadcasting Orchestra) in the Lindemann Hall, Stravinskijs Rite of Spring. (Oslo, Norway)

Award winning CD-recording with ensemble EnB1 (Stavanger, Norway)

Music and theatre instructor for youth in the Summer School of Oslo: ”From text to stage” (Oslo, Norway)

Performer in the bi-national project Orchestra NoVe (Oslo/Bergen, Norway)

Arranger and performer in a jazz-project in the Munch Museum during Oslo Culture Night 2011

Project with Oslo Camerata at Valdres Sommersymfoni

Project with Oslo Camerata and Truls Mørk in The Norwegian Opera ​

Performer at Aurora Chamber Music Festival (Trollhättan, Sweeden)
Artema String Quartet, various concerts and competitions (Oslo, Norway)

Teaching assistance in music theory for a student at Barratt Dues
young talents (Oslo, Norway)
EP recording in studio with Alexander Rybak (Oslo, Norway)

Early music course Musica Antiga (Tomar, Portugal)

Project with Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Steven Sloan (Norway)

NUSO – Norwegian Youth Symphony Orchestra
 

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OTHER QUALIFICATIONS

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Feb-apr 2012-2013

2013-
 

2010-
2010-2017

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Oct-des 2008

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Part of the organizing committee of the Fagerborg Festival (Oslo, Norway)

Following the international academic course, ISGP – International Studies in Global Prosperity (De Poort, Netherlands)

Certified Tutor in the Social Development program initiated by the Ruhi Institute (Oslo, Norway)
Voluntary work as teacher and director of the international junior youth camp Transformation for Peace (Czeske Budejovitze, Czech Republic)

Choir instructor and artistic leader for the self-initiated project choir ”Actis’ Julekor” (Oslo, Norway)

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Speaks fluent Norwegian, English, Dutch, French and Spanish

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