Derek Laren

On December 19, 1919, Elsa Antonia de Groot was born the daughter of composer/conductor Hugo de Groot and singer Mies van Wettum (later known as Mia Dorel). Else was the wife of architect Alexander Marius van Epen, whom she married on September 14, 1946. Four months before their marriage, van Epen-de Groot made her radio debut with the music accompanying the radio play "De Schoonmaak" directed by Herbert Perquin. She developed into a much sought-after specialist in the radio music genre. Commissioned by KRO and AVRO, Else provided dozens of radio plays with appropriate music - for example, she wrote the notes for the long-running radio play series "De Wadders" . Her ability to create the right atmosphere with music also earned her assignments in the film sector - through collaboration with Louis van Gasteren and Ytzen Brusse - and in the field of background music (or "user music"). In the latter category she composed under the pseudonym Derek Laren. From time to time Van Epen-de Groot also made her mark in the light music genre, for example with two songs for the Nationaal Songfestival of 1956 ("It's Spring" for Corry Brokken and "Mei In Paris" for Jetty Paerl), plus "Sub-tropica" (1962) for jazz orchestra for the NCRV TV program Muziek Voor U in which she conducted it herself. Else van Epen-de Groot passed away on May 29, 1994.

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