Donemus Webshop — Graaf, Deborah de

Deborah de Graaf (Winschoten, 10 december 2001) is a Dutch composer and visual artist. In 2023 she graduated cum laude from Minerva Art Academy, while also studying Composition with Klaas ten Holt at Prins Claus Conservatory, where she also finished cum laude. Her debut symphony has been played and recorded by the Northern Netherlands Symphony Orchestra in September 2025. Furthermore she has written for multiple festivals like November Music and Dag van de Componist. She has taken part in talks like “Vrouwen in de compositie” at the festival “How to conduct life” to advocate for better emancipation of women in music and composition.

Currently she is writing 3 new orchestra pieces, with 2 for the Northern Netherlands Symphony Orchestra. In her compositions she searches for new perspectives on wholeness. According to Deborah, we must all relate to the artificial, which has, moreover, infiltrated every corner of our world, without realizing that, above all, we must sacrifice connection, genuine humanity, culture, and old-fashioned craftsmanship. In her compositions, she appeals to humanity and craftsmanship, not with modern or postmodern irony, but with awe for the power of musicians, soloists, listeners, and, more broadly, (human) nature, using old and new techniques to connect and develop new languages in music. Deborah fundamentally avoids generative AI, including in her art.