Rozalie Hirs
A poet-composer who builds intricate sonic architectures, weaving text and texture to create immersive worlds that challenge how we listen and imagine.
Born 1965 (age 61)·Dutch composer and poet·Birthday: April 7·Generation X
Biography
Rozalie Hirs operates in the fertile borderland between language and sound, crafting works that are as intellectually rigorous as they are sensually vivid. Trained as both a composer and a poet, she holds advanced degrees in chemical engineering and music, a dual background that informs the precise, structural beauty of her art. Her musical compositions, often written for ensembles like the ASKO|Schönberg and the Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic, explore spectral harmonies and complex timbres, creating shimmering, otherworldly soundscapes. Simultaneously, her published poetry collections engage with similar themes of perception and transformation, making her creative output a continuous dialogue between two disciplines. Based in Amsterdam, Hirs is a distinctive voice in European contemporary music, one who invites audiences into a deeply considered adventure of the ear and the mind.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Rozalie was born in 1965, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Rozalie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1965
#1 Movie
The Sound of Music
Best Picture
The Sound of Music
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Rozalie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1965Born
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1970Started school
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1978Became a teenager
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Could drive
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1983Could vote
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Turned 21
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1995Turned 30
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 40
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 50
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 60
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 61 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Her composition 'Dreamfish' for ensemble and electronics was premiered by the ASKO|Schönberg ensemble and widely performed internationally.
- Published multiple acclaimed poetry collections, including 'Geluksbrenger' and 'Lichtval', which have received literary awards in the Netherlands.
- Earned a doctorate in music composition from Columbia University, studying with Tristan Murail, after obtaining a master's in chemical engineering.
- Served as a board member for the Dutch Toonkunstenaars society, advocating for the rights and interests of composers.
Did You Know?
She holds a master's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Twente in the Netherlands.
She is a founding member of the online poetry platform 'www.rozalie.com', which she uses to publish digital poetry projects.
Her work often involves close collaboration with visual artists and choreographers for interdisciplinary performances.
She has taught poetry and composition at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague.
She is an avid reader of both scientific literature and contemporary philosophy, which influences her artistic themes.
“A poem is a score for the voice, and music is a poem for the ear.”
