Composer Hardy Mertens Hardy Mertens was born 1960 in Nieuwenhagen (NL). He studied musicology at the Utrecht University, composition and band conducting at the Utrecht Conservatory. In 1984 and 1985 he joined the Netherlands Royal Military Band as arranger and clarinet player. Since 1990 Hardy Mertens has been a regular guest conductor with the Singapore Wind Symphony and since 1995 also with the Sardinian symphonic band "Lao Silesu". Besides composing, he conducts the Netherlands Police Band, the Philips Symphonic Band and several Dutch community bands, teaches at international courses and guest conducts. Hardy Mertens also teaches band conducting at the Tilburg Conservatory. Compositions by Hardy Mertens are rooted in the European orchestral tradition and often influenced by folk music from different continents. Traditional tonality, extended melody lines and percussive patterns are often combined with humorous surprises and unusual sounds. This complexity usually results in a high grade of difficulty and sometimes this causes controversy with conductors and musicians.