Peter-Jan Wagemans (1952) is among the most important composers of the Netherlands. He can be regarded as the counterpart of his more famous colleague Louis Andriessen.
Whereas Andriessen however is focused largely on American music, Wagemans is an outspoken European artist whose aim is to develop en renew the European tradition.


This brings him in conflict with both the avant-garde and the minimalist styles in the Netherlands. Wagemans does not see himself as a traditionalist.
Further development of the musical heritage is his goal, but to be successful, all aspects, both of structural, emotional and communicative nature has to be in balance.


Wagemans studied Organ, Composition and Theory of Music at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, and studied also some time in Freiburg with Klaus Huber.
He has been played in several music festivals like Donaueschingen (Muziek II conducted by Ernest Bour) Royan, Warschau and Venice.


In the last 10 years he is played by almost all orchestras and important music groups in the Netherlands, like The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra under Ricardo Chailly (the Orchestra recently commissioned a new orchestral piece) The Residentie Orchestra (which premiered his Seventh Symphony) The Rotterdam Philharmonic and the Dutch Radio Orchestras.
He also composed works for the Schönberg Ensemble, Volharding and a large pianocycle for the famous pianist Tomoko Mukaijama.
Since Wagemans wanted to make a career, which was solely devoted to development of his music, he never bothered to present himself abroad; so he has become one of the most played composers in the Netherlands but virtually unknown outside his country.


Wagemans teaches Composition and Theory of Music at the Rotterdam Conservatory and also worked from 2000-2006 as the programmer of Holland Symfonia Orchestra (Amsterdam/Haarlem) and his precursor, the NPO. From 1990-2002 he was the artistic leader of the Doelen Ensemble, a Rotterdam based ensemble for contemporary music