Alumnus Marlon Titre: ‘Film is often the start of a conversation’
Marlon Titre (1982) studied at Royal Conservatoire The Hague, did his PhD and studied at Leiden University, earned several other qualifications and is now, among others, Director of Filmhuis The Hague. Who is this multi-talent?
He studied guitar and composition at Royal Conservatoire The Hague and Robert-Schumann-Hochschule in Düsseldorf, earned an MBA at Maastricht University and took courses at the TIAS School for Business and Society and at Leiden University – where he also completed a PhD while he was at it.
Can we conclude you like learning new things?
‘Yes, I am curious, although I may have taken it a bit far. At secondary school you learn a lot of things at the same time and then have to choose. So I went to the Conservatoire. Then you zoom right in but lose some of that wider perspective. I think I also wanted to keep the option open of leading very different lives.’
What did you do at Leiden University?
‘I took the Public Affairs course last year. It’s a course for professionals that takes a couple of months. There have always been big discussions in the culture sector about the importance of culture. You invest in it as a community but what is the return? I want to take an active part in that discussion. You learn how to do that in the course, how you can influence decisionmaking. You think about the story you want to tell and which developments you can respond to. I can apply that to my work now.’
And you also did a PhD in Leiden?
‘I was given the opportunity to do research at the Academy of Creative and Performing Arts, a research institute that is a collaboration between Leiden University and the Royal Conservatoire The Hague and was set up with Orpheus Institute Ghent. It was started to bring together the worlds of music makers and music researchers. Leiden University has a leading role in that. My life at the time consisted of giving concerts, teaching at the conservatoire and working on my PhD. It was an intensive period.’
What did you research?
‘The question of how you translate a musical idea to a musical instrument. Your idea is limited and influenced by the capabilities of the specific instrument, in my case the guitar. I made a library of sounds, a model you can work with as a composer to translate your musical ideas into what the guitar is capable of. Part of the PhD also involved writing new compositions, so there was a PhD defence and a concert. The analytical skills I learned then help me interpret films now and start a conversation about them.’
Which topics do you like to discuss at Filmhuis?
‘Topics that are relevant to the city and region: equal opportunities, housing, student protests, the colonial past, you name it. We recently showed a documentary about Aloysius College, a secondary school in The Hague where politicians used to go. It later became a ‘black’ school and closed for good a few years ago. The cinemagoers could speak to MPs and policymakers beforehand. We also regularly talk to the filmmaker after documentaries. Film is more than entertainment; it is often the start of a conversation.’
As well as Filmhuis Director, Marlon is a member of the Netherlands UNESCO Committee, Chair of the Netherlands-Aruba Society, a member of the Board of Governors of Stichting Omroep Muziek (SOM) and on the board of the Dutch Don’t Dance Division. He was previously Head of Classical Music at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague, a guitar teacher and programme coordinator for the Master of Music at Fontys Academy of the Arts and on the board of the New European Ensemble Foundation.
You’ve got an impressive CV. What are you most proud of?
‘Of having such a great family. I’ve got a wife and a nine-year-old daughter, who is in Kinderen voor Kinderen [a children’s choir, Ed.]. We go to Amsterdam every week for her practice. I’m really proud of her. It is important to have a good life outside of your work, isn’t it?’
You are also chair of the Netherlands-Aruba Society. What are your links to Aruba?
‘I was born in Aruba. My father is Aruban. I came here when I was about one. But I have always felt a connection to Aruba and all Arubans and people from the Kingdom, and really enjoy going there.’
You spent years giving guitar concerts all over the world. What was that like?
‘Really special. When I was just 18, I played in Mexico, Guatemala and Nicaragua. Then the world opens right up for you. I have fond memories of playing in Indonesia and Italy and the time I went to Japan to collect a guitar from a guitar builder. My teacher from the conservatoire turned out to be giving a concert that evening. I developed my global mindset during those trips. And I think that will benefit me for the rest of my life.’
Do you have a favourite film or a tip for a film?
‘Mulholland Drive by David Lynch is a great film. Next month we will be screening a Dune four-parter, four exceptional films by three directors, all based on books by science fiction writer Frank Herbert.’
Text: Thessa Lageman
Banner photo: Esmée de Vette