Photo: Frabribri · CC BY-SA 4.0 · credits
Tier 3 · vertical & regional
Johan de Meij
Person · male · Kingdom of the Netherlands · Voorburg · born 1953 · recording since 1989
Dutch composer and conductor
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Also known as 约翰·德·梅杰
Timeline
13 events▣ Album 11◦ Birth 1★ Debut release 1
1950s
1980s
· Debut release
Debut release: De Meij: Symphony nr. 1 "The Lord of the Rings" / Bilik: Symphony for Band
First documented Album in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
· Album
Album: De Meij: Symphony nr. 1 "The Lord of the Rings" / Bilik: Symphony for Band
Album
source: musicbrainz
1990s
2000s
2010s
· Album
Album: Live in Concert Series, Vol. 1: De Meij: Lord of the Rings / Stravinsky: Firebird Suite
Album
source: musicbrainz
· Album
Album: The Symphonies: The Lord of the Rings / The Big Apple / Planet Earth
Album
source: musicbrainz
Biography
English biography203 words · 2 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1335617800
Biography
Johannes Abraham "Johan" de Meij (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈjoːɦɑn də ˈmɛi]; born November 23, 1953 in Voorburg) is a Dutch conductor, trombonist, and composer, best known for his Symphony No. 1 for wind ensemble, nicknamed The Lord of the Rings symphony.
Biography
Johan de Meij received his musical training at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, where he studied trombone and conducting. His Symphony No. 1 "The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the RingsSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracks1Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": I. Gandalf7:112Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": II. Lothlórien8:203Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": III. Gollum9:484Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": IV. Journey in the Dark: a. The Mines of Moria / b) The Bridge of Khazad-Dûm8:395Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": V. Hobbits10:036Spartacus14:547A Barrie North Celebration8:22", first performed in 1988, received the Sudler Composition Award in 1989, and has been recorded by ensembles including The London Symphony Orchestra, The North Netherlands Orchestra, The Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra, and The Amsterdam Wind Orchestra.
Before turning exclusively to composing and conducting, Johan de Meij played trombone and euphonium; he performed with major ensembles in The Netherlands. He is the principal guest conductor of the New York Wind Symphony and the Kyushu Wind Orchestra in Fukuoka, Japan; he is a regular guest conductor of the Simón Bolívar Youth Wind Orchestra in Caracas, Venezuela, part of the Venezuelan educational system El Sistema. He is founder and CEO of the publishing company Amstel Music, which he established in 1989. When not traveling, de Meij divides his time between Hudson Valley and Manhattan with his wife Dyan.
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 12 | 64.8th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 13 | 84th |
| Studio albums | 11 | 91.9th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 13 | 89.7th |
| Recording span (years) | 30 | 66.1th |
| Genres | 1 | 56th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (13 release groups · 11 studio albums)
Albums · 11
De Meij: Symphony nr. 1 "The Lord of the Rings" / Bilik: Symphony for Band
1989 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 8 tracks · 58:55
1Symphony nr. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": I. "Gandalf" (The Wizard)6:252Symphony nr. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": II. "Lothlórien" (The Elvenwood)7:393Symphony nr. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": III. "Gollum" (Sméagol)9:414Symphony nr. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": IV. "Journey in the Dark": a. "The Mines of Moria" / b. "The Bridge of Khazad-Dûm"8:595Symphony nr. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": V. "Hobbits"9:336Symphony for Band: I. Allegro Vivace4:477Symphony for Band: II. Andante6:178Symphony for Band: III. Andante Maestoso, Allegro Ritmico5:34The Lord of the Rings Symphony No. 1
1990 · studio album
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Tracklist · 5 tracks · 41:21
1Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": I. Gandalf (The Wizard)6:102Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": II. Lothlórien (The Elvenwood)7:253Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": III. Gollum (Sméagol)9:524Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": IV. Journey in the Dark8:505Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": V. Hobbits9:04Famous Arrangements by Johan de Meij
1996 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 10 tracks · 1:02:50
1March to Mars3:462Highlights from Chess15:473Out of Africa4:014Chanson d'amour2:535Miss Saigon (A Symphonic Portrait)18:496Berceuse (from the Opera "Mazeppa")3:027Star Wars Saga3:478Chanson de matin, op. 15 no. 23:479Honky Tonk Ragtime3:1510Can't Take My Eyes Off You3:431997 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 7 tracks · 1:07:17
1Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": I. Gandalf7:112Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": II. Lothlórien8:203Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": III. Gollum9:484Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": IV. Journey in the Dark: a. The Mines of Moria / b) The Bridge of Khazad-Dûm8:395Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": V. Hobbits10:036Spartacus14:547A Barrie North Celebration8:222000 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 21 tracks · 59:43
1La quintessenza: I. Introduzione2:082La quintessenza: II. Capriccio3:093La quintessenza: III. Arioso3:274La quintessenza: IV. Alla Marcia2:165La quintessenza: V. Finale1:016Casanova: I. Prologo: Il tema di Messer Grande1:447Casanova: II. Cadenza: Atto di presentazione1:578Casanova: III. La vita a corte2:249Casanova: IV. L'arresto di Casanova2:3710Casanova: V. Reminiscenze6:3011Casanova: VI. L'evasione dai Piombi6:3212Casanova: VII. M.M. e C.C.1:4613Casanova: VIII. Finale e stretto: Il trionfo dell'amore2:5714Aquarium: I. Allegretto grazioso (Neon Tetra, Electric Eel, and Angelfish)2:5115Aquarium: II. Andante - Adagio (Sea Horse and Zebrafish)3:3216Aquarium: III. Finale: Allegro giocoso (Guppy and Co)2:4617Loch Ness: I. The Lake at Dawn2:5918Loch Ness: II. Urquhart Castle2:3419Loch Ness: III. Inverness: Bagpipes and Tourists2:1920Loch Ness: IV. Storm2:1921Loch Ness: V. Conclusion1:55Symphony No. 1 - Inspired by The Lord of the Rings
2001 · studio album
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Tracklist · 6 tracks · 54:31
1Gandalf (The Wizard)6:312Lothlorien (The Elvenwood)7:583Gollum (Smeagol)10:074Journey In The Dark8:515Hobbits9:206The Sorcerer's Apprentice11:44Symphony no. 1: Inspired by the Lord of the Rings
2001 · studio album
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Tracklist · 5 tracks · 42:56
1Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": I. Gandalf (The Wizard)6:342Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": II. Lothlórien (The Elvenwood)8:023Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": III. Gollum (Sméagol)10:054Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": IV. Journey in the Dark: a. The Mines of Moria / b. The Bridge of Khazad-Dum8:555Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": V. Hobbits9:202007 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 5 tracks · 1:10:47
1Windy City Overture4:482Extreme Make-Over - Metamorphoses on a Theme by Tchaikovsky16:293Symphony no. 3 "Planet Earth": I. Lonely Planet16:264Symphony no. 3 "Planet Earth": II. Planet Earth15:485Symphony no. 3 "Planet Earth": III. Mother Earth17:16Live in Concert Series, Vol. 1: De Meij: Lord of the Rings / Stravinsky: Firebird Suite
2011 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 10 tracks · 1:01:26
1Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": I. Gandalf (The Wizard)5:592Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": II. Lothlorien (The Elvenwood)7:323Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": III. Gollum (Smeagol)9:164Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": IV. Journey in the Dark8:565Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": V. Hobbits9:336The Firebird Suite: I. Introduction3:047The Firebird Suite: II. The Firebird and its Dance1:118The Firebird Suite: IV. Ring dance of the Princesses4:329The Firebird Suite: V. Infernal Dance of King Kashchey4:1010The Firebird Suite: VI. Lullaby - VII. Finale7:13The Symphonies: The Lord of the Rings / The Big Apple / Planet Earth
2013 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 2:04:31
Disc 11Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": I. Gandalf (The Wizard)6:102Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": II. Lothlorien (The Elvenwood)7:563Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": III. Gollum (Smeagol)10:114Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": IV. Journey in the Dark: a. The Mines of Moria - b. The Bridge of Khazad-Dûm8:435Symphony no. 1 "The Lord of the Rings": V. Hobbits9:166Symphony no. 2 "The Big Apple": I. Skyline13:227Symphony no. 2 "The Big Apple": Interlude: Times Square Cadenza2:128Symphony no. 2 "The Big Apple": II. Gotham19:08Disc 21Symphony no. 3 "Planet Earth": I. Lonely Planet15:492Symphony no. 3 "Planet Earth": II. Planet Earth14:093Symphony no. 3 "Planet Earth": III. Mother Earth17:35Symphony No. 5: Return To Middle Earth
2019 · studio album
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Tracklist · 6 tracks · 43:50
1.1I. Miri na Fëanor (Jewels of Fëanor)5:411.2II. Tinúviel (Nightingale)6:211.3III. Ancalagon i-môr (Ancalagon the Black)5:461.4IV. Arwen Undómiel (Evenstar)5:271.5V. Dagor Delothrin (The War of Wrath)12:071.6VI. Thuringwethil (Woman of Secret Shadow)8:28
Album · 2
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Portrait of Johan de MeijSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 8 tracks1Jupiter Hymn 2American Suite, op. 98b 3Pavane pour une infante défunte 4Aquarium, op. 5 5Les Papillons 6The Exodus Song 7The Phantom of the Opera 8Songs From the Musical "Cats" | Compilation | 1991 | |
| — | Downtown Divertimento (Live Recording)Search SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 10 tracks · 1:02:151Ceremonial Fanfare3:40 2Downtown Divertimento11:02 3Summer11:30 4Oriental Festival March3:14 5Aladdin's Dream / Dance of the Morning Mist2:59 6African Negro Dance4:27 7Pavane5:57 8Highlights from Riverdance12:19 9Duet from ‘Don Carlo’3:45 10Joropo3:22 | Live | — |
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put Johan de Meij head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 12 | 64.8th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 13 | 84th |
| Studio albums | 11 | 91.9th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 13 | 89.7th |
| Recording span (years) | 30 | 66.1th |
| Genres | 1 | 56th |
Awards & honours
Where this record comes from
portrait—Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Johan_De_Meij.jpgaliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/b7cd7f57-b46a-4d96-bfd1-3557bd3f57dcdiscography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/b7cd7f57-b46a-4d96-bfd1-3557bd3f57dccore—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1350234genre—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1350234seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johan_de_Meijbiography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johan_de_Meij
Why this artist is in the database
- List of composers by name
Tier rule: curated genre/region list
Image: Frabribri · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Wikidata: Q1350234 · MusicBrainz: b7cd7f57-b46a-4d96-bfd1-3557bd3f57dc
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