About
Lowell Dykstra was born in in Exeter, Canada. He and his family came to The Netherlands at the age of nearly eight. After a number of rather disappointing years in Secondary School, he went to the Leeuwarden Conservatory where he studied the guitar with Guido Topper. In 1979 he received his diploma and from that time on he had a job as a guitar teacher for almost 17 years.
During this teaching carreer he started composing in the classical tradition. Until then, the only composing activity had been song writing. He took up composition lessons with Willem Frederik Bon at the Groningen Conservatory. After Bon's untimely death, Dykstra pursued his composition training with Tristan Keuris at the Utrecht Conservatory. He graduated in 1990, by receiving the Prize for Composition. Many commissions have followed since then. His works are published by Donemus. (Muziek Centrum Nederland), Broekmans & van Poppel and Intrada Music
His works have been performed by various ensembles and individual musicians. They are, among others: Het Nederlands Ballet Orkest • Het Noord Nederlands Orkest • Het Noord-Hollands Philharmonisch orkest • Het Nederlands Kamerkoor • Studium Chorale • Het Nederlands Studenten Kamerkoor • Jeugd Orkest Nederland • Het VU-Kamer Orkest,• Trio Ibert • baritone Maarten Koningsberger • soprano Irene Maessen • Le Quatuor de Mirmande • The violin - piano duo Tjeerd Top & Mariken Zandvliet • Duo Bilitis • Soli Brass • Vocal Ensemble Cantatrix.
" I never really had an eye for any specific composing technique such as minimal music or serialism. I did flirt with it, though. That was during my years at conservatory. I then believed that musical history was constantly developing n the sense of improving. But musical development is not a technical device. I now believe that progression is within myself. I want every new piece to be better than the previous, without being impeded by style or musical language.
I wrote a short In Memoriam for guitar for my guitar tutor, Guido Topper, who unexpectedly passed away on April 13.