Ruud Roelofsen PhD (*16-11-1985, Rhenen NL) is a composer and percussionist. Ruud obtained his PhD in Music Composition and Technology from Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music in Evanston (US) under the guidance of Alex Mincek, Hans Thomalla, and Christopher Mercer. He obtained his bachelor degree in percussion from the ArtEZ Conservatory of Arnhem (NL) and his master degree in percussion from the Royal Conservatory of Brussels (BE). During his bachelor studies he studied in the Musikhochschule Münster (DE) as an Erasmus exchange student.

Ruud received masterclasses in composition with Dmitri Kourliandski, Carola Bauckholt, Hanna Hartman, Tristan Murail, Mark André, Hèctor Parra, Bryn Harrison, Martin Schüttler, Bernard Cavanna, Ted Hearne, Jennifer Higdon, David T. Little, and Martijn Padding.

As a composer he has worked with the Arditti Quartet (UK), aTonal Hits (USA), Bart de Vrees (NL), Dario Calderone (It), Ensemble Soundinitiative (Fr), Ensemble Spaziomusica (it), Ensemble Polygon (CH), Ensemble Proton Bern (CH), Ensemble S201 (DE), the  Flubax Trio (LT),  FRAMES percussion (Esp), Gyre Ensemble (CH), Het Vers Ensemble (NL), Ictus G.A.M.E. (BE), Miriam Overlach & Wilbert Bulsink (DE/NL), the Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble (RUS), Orkest de Ereprijs (NL),  Parallel Asteroid (D), Platypus Ensemble (At), Spectra Ensemble (BE), Tempus Konnex (DE), and 20º dans le noir (Fr).

His music has been performed in festivals like the Gaudeamus Muziekweek (Utrecht, NL), Musica Viva Festival Lissabon (Pt), Sirga Festival (Flix, Esp), Ferienkurse für neue Musik (Darmstadt, D), MIXTUR Barcelona (Esp), Young Composers Meeting (Apeldoorn, NL), MUSICAPOI (Cagliari, It), Kiev Contemporary Music Days (Ukr), Florida International Toy Piano Festival (USA), and the IX International Composers Academy in Tschaikovsky City (RUS).

Ruud is the recipient of the 2020 William T. Faricy Award, awarded by Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music for rimpelingen. He took part in the 2020 Bijloke Academy in Gent (BE) hosted by LOD Muziektheater and Spectra Ensemble. In 2015 he attended Matrix15 at SWR Experimentalstudio in Freiburg (D). In 2013 he was selected for the “Young Composers Meeting” in Apeldoorn, he was a finalist for the famous Luigi Russolo Award, and he took part in the International Ensemble Modern Academy in the Klangspuren Festival led by Ensemble Modern Frankfurt (D). In 2012 he received the “Ingeborg Köberle” award as highly promising student and for his exceptional performance skill in the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. In 2011 he was a semi-finalist in the Gaudeamus Interpreters Competition. In 2005 Ruud won the composition project of “Orkest de Ereprijs”.