6/6/2025 –

Deuss Music is proud to welcome Dutch composer Xavier van de Poll (1995) to its catalogue. Van de Poll distinguishes himself with a unique artistic profile: trained in Western classical music, he immerses himself in the traditions of Chinese classical music, with a special fascination for Peking opera.

Van de Poll’s music is known for its vivid colors and evocative imagery. Stories, myths, and visuals often serve as his sources of inspiration. Kuí (夔) (2024), for instance, is inspired by the multi-formed god of dance and music of the same name, described in the ancient Chinese mythological text Classic of Mountains and Rivers. His symphonic poem Sinfonietta per Sinfonietta: The Tale of Prince Ivanovich (2018), winner of the 4th International Sinfonietta per Sinfonietta Composition Competition, tells the story of the young Prince Vselovod Ivanovich during the time of the Russian Revolution.

Orchestral works
Van de Poll has received commissions from the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, JeugdOrkest Nederland, and philharmonie zuidnederland. In 2023, his work Madhouse was commissioned by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra for their KCO Opening Night and was described by the newspaper NRC as “the highlight of the evening.” Van de Poll is also recognized as a gifted orchestrator, having collaborated with ensembles and artists such as Kamerata Zuid, Iris Hond, and Ellen ten Damme.

About Van de Poll
Xavier van de Poll (1995, Tilburg) started playing the violin at the age of five and discovered his passion for orchestral and stage music as a teenager with the JeugdOrkest Nederland. He began composing at nineteen and received his first education in composition by Joël Bons at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. Simultaneously he obtained a Bachelor’s in Musicology at the University of Amsterdam, where he graduated with his thesis “What’s the matter with atonality?: on the perception of atonal music from a neuropsychological viewpoint”. He graduated with distinction in Composition from Fontys Academy of Music & Performing Arts, where he studied with Kees van den Bergh and Anthony Fiumara. Van de Poll then earned his Master of Music in Composition cum laude at the Royal College of Music in London, where he studied with Kenneth Hesketh and took conducting lessons with Howard Williams.

Van de Poll currently resides in Shanghai, where he is pursuing a PhD on how contemporary Dutch composers incorporate Chinese elements into their compositions.