On a regular basis in the 1950s and 60's, Van Dijk not only composed background music for educational programmes but used his improvisational skills as a pianist live on radio for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
This relationship would later culminate in the World premiere of his Four Epigrams for Symphony Orchestra (1962) with the CBC Symphony conducted by Walter Susskind as part of the CBC's National School Broadcast series Finding Out about Music.
As an original musical work commissioned by the CBC, "The Four Epigrams for Symphony Orchestra point up the two main ingredients in a work composed with young listeners in mind: powerful, shifting rhythms, and dramatic colour contrasts."
  
The Canada Council enabled Van Dijk to further his composition studies in Paris (1964-1965) with Max Deutsch, a pupil of Arnold Schoenberg.
During this time, he concluded his piano studies with Kendall Taylor in London.
Between 1964–1966, Van Dijk also worked at the British Broadcasting Corporation, London  in educational television programmes  which were broadcast throughout the world.
From 1966 onwards, teaching became part of his musical life.
Van Dijk returned with his family to Canada and was appointed teacher of piano at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.
He was commissioned by the CBC to write a cantata with librettist George Benson Johnston which Van Dijk would entitle Now is the Prophet's Time (1967).
Its premiere took place in The Netherlands at the Philharmonie Haarlem with the Boy's choir of St. Bavo Cathedral, Groot Omroepkoor, and the Symfonieorkest Haerlem for Dutch radio broadcast conducted by Jan Stulen.
In 1972, Van Dijk was appointed to the Faculty of Music at Indiana University.
At this time, his composition Immobile Eden (1972), set to the composer's own text written for the Toronto Lyric Arts Trio, was first performed on National Public Radio in New York City in November 1975.
From 1975-1981, Van Dijk taught Composition and Analysis at Berklee College of Music in Boston, and during this time his Movement for Alto saxophone and piano (1960) was given its premiere.

His Concertante for Flute, Harp, Percussion and Strings (1963) had its World Premiere at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto with the Toronto Chamber Orchestra and was televised live on CBC television in January 1964.
The French flautist Jean-Pierre Rampal wrote in a letter to Van Dijk, "It is a very well constructed work and remarkably written for the flute."
 Its European premiere was given in the Netherlands in 1965 with flautist Koos Verheul and members of the Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra.
It has been played numerous times in Canada, Finland, and the United States.
Highlights of the 1978-79 season of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra include the world premiere of Van Dijk's The Shadowmaker (1977)  under the direction of Mario Bernardi  and featuring Canadian baritone Victor Braun.
It was performed at Massey Hall in Toronto, October 1978.
The work was set to a book of poems called The Shadowmaker written in 1969 by the Canadian poet Gwendolyn MacEwan.
The biographer of MacEwan, Rosemary Sullivan, quotes Van Dijk in her book: "What attracted me to the poetry was the substance behind the subject matter - namely the dream.
The poetry attempts, it seems to me, to lift the veil of 'Maya' (illusion).
Is our sensuous experience reality or illusion?
MacEwan has something in common with Strindberg and D.H. Lawrence, as an explorer of these dark corners of the soul that most of us shut out conveniently, in order to create a safe but illusory reality."
 As Dutch musicologist Maarten Brandt writes, "The bold and expressionistic side of Berg and Schoenberg is found in van Dijk’s The Shadowmaker for baritone and large orchestra, written in 1977.
Yet, as in every single composition by van Dijk, tonal references are present here as well, demonstrating a kinship not only with Berg, but also with Britten, Henze, Tippett and Martin; all of them composers who have not simply exploited the resources available to them, but rather were grateful ‘inhabitan
On a regular basis in the 1950s and 60's, Van Dijk not only composed background music for educational programmes but used his improvisational skills as a pianist live on radio for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. This relationship would later culminate in the World premiere of his Four Epigrams for Symphony Orchestra (1962) with the CBC Symphony conducted by Walter Susskind as part of the CBC's National School Broadcast series Finding Out about Music. As an original musical work commissioned by the CBC, "The Four Epigrams for Symphony Orchestra point up the two main ingredients in a work composed with young listeners in mind: powerful, shifting rhythms, and dramatic colour contrasts."   
The Canada Council enabled Van Dijk to further his composition studies in Paris (1964-1965) with Max Deutsch, a pupil of Arnold Schoenberg. During this time, he concluded his piano studies with Kendall Taylor in London. Between 1964–1966, Van Dijk also worked at the British Broadcasting Corporation, London  in educational television programmes  which were broadcast throughout the world. From 1966 onwards, teaching became part of his musical life. Van Dijk returned with his family to Canada and was appointed teacher of piano at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. He was commissioned by the CBC to write a cantata with librettist George Benson Johnston which Van Dijk would entitle Now is the Prophet's Time (1967). Its premiere took place in The Netherlands at the Philharmonie Haarlem with the Boy's choir of St. Bavo Cathedral, Groot Omroepkoor, and the Symfonieorkest Haerlem for Dutch radio broadcast conducted by Jan Stulen. In 1972, Van Dijk was appointed to the Faculty of Music at Indiana University. At this time, his composition Immobile Eden (1972), set to the composer's own text written for the Toronto Lyric Arts Trio, was first performed on National Public Radio in New York City in November 1975. From 1975-1981, Van Dijk taught Composition and Analysis at Berklee College of Music in Boston, and during this time his Movement for Alto saxophone and piano (1960) was given its premiere.
His Concertante for Flute, Harp, Percussion and Strings (1963) had its World Premiere at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto with the Toronto Chamber Orchestra and was televised live on CBC television in January 1964. The French flautist Jean-Pierre Rampal wrote in a letter to Van Dijk, "It is a very well constructed work and remarkably written for the flute."  Its European premiere was given in the Netherlands in 1965 with flautist Koos Verheul and members of the Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra. It has been played numerous times in Canada, Finland, and the United States. Highlights of the 1978-79 season of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra include the world premiere of Van Dijk's The Shadowmaker (1977)  under the direction of Mario Bernardi  and featuring Canadian baritone Victor Braun. It was performed at Massey Hall in Toronto, October 1978. The work was set to a book of poems called The Shadowmaker written in 1969 by the Canadian poet Gwendolyn MacEwan. The biographer of MacEwan, Rosemary Sullivan, quotes Van Dijk in her book: "What attracted me to the poetry was the substance behind the subject matter - namely the dream. The poetry attempts, it seems to me, to lift the veil of 'Maya' (illusion). Is our sensuous experience reality or illusion? MacEwan has something in common with Strindberg and D.H. Lawrence, as an explorer of these dark corners of the soul that most of us shut out conveniently, in order to create a safe but illusory reality."  As Dutch musicologist Maarten Brandt writes, "The bold and expressionistic side of Berg and Schoenberg is found in van Dijk’s The Shadowmaker for baritone and large orchestra, written in 1977. Yet, as in every single composition by van Dijk, tonal references are present here as well, demonstrating a kinship not only with Berg, but also with Britten, Henze, Tippett and Martin; all of them composers who have not simply exploited the resources available to them, but rather were grateful ‘inhabitan
Rudi Martinus van Dijk