Noted Dutch composer Johan de Meij conducts and concertizes around the world. Last week, he landed in the Midwest, and Hal Leonard Corp. was happy to host him to celebrate two decades of distributing his acclaimed Amstel Music catalog. De Meij’s magnum opus, Symphony No. 1 The Lord of the Rings, is based on Tolkien’s bestselling novels, and recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. This award-winning symphony was premiered by the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and, since, it has been recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra, the North Netherlands Orchestra, the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra and the Amsterdam Wind Orchestra.

Amstel Music features this piece and other original compositions by Johan de Meij and Søren Hyldgaard, symphonic transcriptions, and arrangements of film scores and musicals, featuring works by Bill Whelan, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Patrick Doyle. De Meij’s CD label, Amstel Classics, has produced 19 releases with all the works from the catalog. Hal Leonard has been exclusively distributing the Amstel catalog worldwide since 1995.

De Meij met with Hal Leonard sales and editorial staff to discuss several topics, including the just-released Highlights from Riverdance for wind orchestra, and Amstel’s robust publishing plan for the coming years.

Hal Leonard’s President, Larry Morton, commented on the visit, saying, “Amstel Music is highly regarded around the world. We are so proud to mark this milestone with Johan, and we look forward to many more exciting things to come from this collaboration.”

De Meij added, “The Amstel Music catalog has been in great hands ever since we started in 1995. The Hal Leonard staff is not only the best at what they do, but they are also truly my partners and friends. Here’s to many more decades together!”

Click here for more information on Amstel Music publications available from Hal Leonard Corp.

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