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		vita
	R. Lullus: Ars magna
		Photo by Ana Cayuel Muñoz
		Born in Osnabrück, Germany, Tom Rojo Poller started out studying composition as pre-student at the Hochschule für Musik Detmold. He continued his studies at the University of the Arts Berlin (UdK) with Prof. Walter Zimmermann. After spending a year studying at the Royal College of Music London, he received first his composition diploma and, two years later, his postgraduate exam (Meisterschüler) at the UdK Berlin. He also holds an M.A. in German Literature and Philosophy from Humboldt University Berlin as well as a Ph.D. in Musicology. He has been teaching composition, music theory, and musicology at different institutions (UdK Berlin, FU Berlin, Barenboim-Said Academy), and is currently visiting professor for composition at the University of the Arts Berlin. Tom is especially interested in the temporal aspect of music (including polyrhythmical/polymetrical music); music theatre - or more generally, various forms of musical representation; the relation between music and language; the philosophy of music; and, recently, in a compositional approach which tries to incorporate external or non-musical material in an experiential way, and therefore could be characterised as musical essayism. Following an explicitly experimental approach, his music is at the same time deeply rooted in the western musical tradition and particularly influenced by its lesser known aspects (e.g. medieval and renaissance music, rhetorical aspects of baroque music as well as various forms of contemporary musical practices). Tom's music has been performed at major festivals and institutions (such as MaerzMusik, Staatsoper Berlin) and was awarded numerous scholarships (among them residencies at the German Academy Rome; the Villa Aurora, Los Angeles; and the Cité des Arts Paris) and prizes (e. g. Arts Prize of the state of Brandenburg, GASAG Young Artist's Prize).