The music of Edward Top is characterized by extreme contrasts. He won the 2004 Henriette Bosmans Prize during the Dutch Music Days for his work Marble Sparks. He also won first prize at the 2003 Salvatore Martirano Award at the University of Illinois, USA for his First String Quartet.
Edward Top graduated with honours from the Rotterdam Conservatory in 1999. Alongside his composition studies with Peter-Jan Wagemans, he also majored in violin.