A special One Minute Symphony written by young composition student Katherine Teng sounded on May 26, 2023. This time not a meeting turned into music but a musical tribute to Mr. Poorter who included Residentie Orkest in his will. Where did the composer get her inspiration and how did she manage to capture his love of music in notes?

A piece that would be both engaging and challenging for the musicians of the Residentie Orkest, but at the same time accessible and enjoyable for the audience to listen to. That was the assignment given to composition student Katherine Teng. But above all, the special legacy of Mr. Poorter. "His kindness and tremendous dedication to the Residentie Orkest I am taking into the composition process. He was a loyal visitor and could be found at almost all concerts since time immemorial. In addition, he wrote many letters to the orchestra to express his gratitude. Although I was not able to read those letters, I felt from everything that he greatly appreciated and supported the orchestra. His conviction was to use the power of music to bring people together. I felt very honored to pay a musical tribute to him with my composition."

Morse

"Because of the unknown content of Mr. Poorter's letters, to which the title Lost Letters refers, I explored different musical options that could convey a sense of mystery. I experimented with different soundscapes, using breaths and silences to create a sense of space and emptiness. Finally, I chose to use Morse code as a musical element to represent letter writing. I experimented with different ways to translate the letters of Mr. Poorter's name into musical patterns. I then developed these patterns into musical motifs that eventually became the backbone of the piece. From there, I added other musical elements, instruments and soundscapes to explore different moods and emotions."