Donemus Webshop — Geysen, Daan

Daan Geysen is a versatile composer, active across a broad musical spectrum: from contemporary classical to electronic and electroacoustic music. His music often focuses on the relationship and communication between (electronic) musicians and their audience. For example, he developed a musical operating system for dancers that uses sensors to translate the dancer’s movements into sound design, creating a more direct and perceivable connection between performer, technology, and audience.
As a creator and thinker, Geysen constantly seeks a balance between accessibility and experimentation. He draws inspiration from the interplay between function and context, where digital technologies serve as a bridge between different musical worlds and listening experiences.
In 2021, he graduated from LUCA School of Arts, Campus Lemmens, under the supervision of Jeroen D’hoe. That same year, he took composition lessons with Ēriks Ešenvalds at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music in Riga. In 2024, he earned his master’s degree in musicology at KU Leuven.
His work has received multiple accolades. In 2019, he was a laureate of the [;tactus] Young Composers Forum, with performances in Arsonic (Mons) and Flagey (Brussels). In 2022, he won the award for Best Composition at the Sing inSplit Festival in Croatia with Metla Nogu. A year later, he received a commission through a pitch from Donemus Publishing and the Simeon ten Holt Foundation for a dynamic modular work in honour of Ten Holt’s 100th birthday.
Geysen’s oeuvre encompasses a wide range of works, from chamber music and vocal compositions to performance, film, and electroacoustic music; both live and recorded. Stylistically, he enjoys experimenting with diverse forms and textures, placing emphasis on layering and dialogue between instruments. Long-spun structures with broad arcs of tension and contrasting elements frequently appear in his music. In his work, digital technology is not merely a tool but a vital driving force behind his musical explorations.

(Photo credit: Greet Eggers)