Bernhard van den Sigtenhorst Meyer

Dutch composer, pianist, and teacher whose music—little touched by the radical modernism of his time—occupies a modest but distinctive place in early 20th-century Dutch musical life. Often inspired by nature and Eastern themes, he created an evocative sound world that some liken to Debussy in atmosphere, though unmistakably his own. His piano output is central, with works such as Zes Gezichten op de Fuji (Op. 9), the Preludes (Op. 17), and two sonatas, alongside chamber, choral, and vocal compositions. At his home in The Hague and at the Royal Conservatoire he taught piano and composition, counting Hans Henkemans among his pupils. Sigtenhorst Meyer’s music, poetic and refined rather than virtuosic, is especially rewarding for pianists and ensembles interested in atmospheric repertoire that bridges impressionistic colour with Dutch cultural roots.