Interview with Composer Adrien de Croy on his world premiere of ‘The Resolute’

MSO Marketing Assistant and Principal Timpanist Dr Sam Girling chats with composer Adrien de Croy on the eve of the performance of his First Symphony ‘The Resolute’ performed by the Manukau Symphony Orchestra, 15 March 2025.

1. Can you tell us about your background and why you delved into the world of composing?

My background professionally is in engineering and computer software development, but my life has always had music in it. My mother was a very good pianist, and my stepfather was a professional tenor, so there was always a lot of music in my life. We kids all did music of some description, and I played violin since age 12. I’ve played in orchestras for a very long time and been exposed to quite a bit of the canon.

One group I have played in for many years is a string orchestra, and back in about 2016 I wondered whether if I arranged some works for string orchestra, I might get to play them. In the end I did arrangements of a few composers, Khachaturian, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Ravel, Bach even. We performed a number of these, and I learned a lot.

This exposed me to orchestral scores from the masters, and I soon started to notice several recurring structural elements. Almost like the plans for a house, foundation, framing, ornamentation. So, in 2018 I thought I would have a go at actually writing something.

2. What would you say had the most profound impact on your musical journey and compositional style?

My musical journey has been quite long and varied, and I am many decades behind most composers. So, it’s hard to point to any one thing. If anything, though, my age has helped me to remain focused on my musical goals, and because I have not been reliant on making money from music, I have been free to write purely for my own edification, and resilient enough to not be diverted to contemporary styles.

3. Your music is inspired by the Romantic era and early 20th-century traditions. What draws you to these periods, and are there specific composers from these eras you particularly admire?

The orchestras I have played in have mainly stayed in the 19C and earlier, and so this has been my main exposure in the classical realm. But I have to confess I love Prokofiev, and Khachaturian Also of course Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin, Shostakovich, as well as many English, French and German composers. Borodin especially is a bit of an idol, as he fit his musical career around his work as a physician and industrial chemist. I love the rich lyrical melodies and lush harmonies, and when I am choosing music to listen to, I love music that embodies – in my view – beauty I look for music that alters my heart rate, not music that I need to decode cerebrally.

4. What attracted you to working on this commission from the Manukau Symphony Orchestra?

As a new composer, one must take full advantage of all opportunities. I first met Uwe in 1989 when I auditioned for the AYO (he was conducting that year). For various reasons after about a year or two of composing, I came to the conclusion that I needed to work with a conductor – someone who knows how a score will translate to a live performance. Uwe agreed to work with me, and I have been very pleased to learn a lot from him and continue to do so. This commission occurred when my symphony was largely complete and covered an in-depth review of the work.

5. Your new symphony ‘The Resolute’ blends complexity with emotional depth. How do you balance accessibility and sophistication in your compositions?

I don’t really consciously try to do either of these things. I simply write something and tweak it until I am happy with it. In general, my themes are simple. There are also many happy accidents, especially harmonically which lead me in various directions.

6. You transitioned from a successful career in technology to composing. How has your engineering background influenced your approach to music creation?

I guess that being computer-focused for a long time meant I was comfortable with software. The tools for composition now are fairly astounding, and especially for rendering realistic orchestral music to audio. I rely almost completely on my ear for writing, choosing orchestration, harmonies etc. I do use a small amount of theory to watch for problematic dissonance, but I do also love a bit of dissonance too.

7. What are your thoughts on the use of AI in music composition? Do you see it as a tool that could enhance creativity, or are there aspects of the human touch in music that AI can never replicate?

I haven’t had any experience using AI for composition. I studied a tiny bit of AI (neural networks) in engineering school. I think there’s a lot about AI that people don’t fully understand, and this includes the engineers who make the AIs. The output can be quite unpredictable and depends a lot also on training. I haven’t even listened much to AI-generated classical music. That which I have listened to didn’t move me. So, I think there is still quite a lot of use for humans in music composition. I don’t really think that AI will (not for a while anyway) create much that is new, it seems to re-hash things based on what it already consumed in training.

8. You’ve had a varied musical journey, from orchestral violin to playing bass in a rock band. How have these experiences enriched your compositions?

I guess all these things go into the melting pot. Probably the most influence came from playing in orchestras, and also in my personal violin journey, including studying violin concerti. Even though I can’t play well enough to perform any of them, they have been very influential on me.

         9. When you’re not composing, how do you unwind or find inspiration outside the world of music?

I live next to Cornwall Park, which is an incredible asset to Aucklanders. So, I love to walk in the park quite a lot. Love also hanging out with my kids, and/or unwinding to a mindless action or sci-fi movie – something which doesn’t tax my brain too much. I enjoy cooking too, especially if the food is appreciated. Another passion for me is languages, and I’m currently learning Russian. I also unwind inside the world of music and really enjoy playing in orchestras.