401Concerts 1 
401Concerts 2
401Concerts 3
DutchDiva of the Month
Barbara Schilstra
Dutch lyric soprano Barbara Schilstra is Diva of the Month December 2016/January 2017 in the wake of her lead part in 401Concerts 4, in the Concert Hall of the library at Spui, The Hague, 18 december. She will sing there an array of arias and duets from Dutch operas by Cornelis Dopper, Daniël de Lange, Gerard von Brucken Fock, Emile von Brucken-Fock, Willem Landré, Jan van Gilse, Jan Brandts Buys en Richard Hageman. Schilstra's voice is marked by a silvery timbre and genuine personality. Till date the highlight of her career was a tour as Saffi in Gypsy Baron that took her from Vienna throughout Germany. The next highlight will be the December 18 concert! Who is curious after her voice is welcome to attend this coproduction with the Netherlands Music Institute. Entrance is Free!
DutchDivo of the Month
In Memoriam Wolter Willemsen
Our 401DutchOperas house pianist, the brilliant Wolter Willemsen, has died completely unexpectedly in his house on June 18. On behalf of our team, in particular also our vocal ensemble consisting of Barbara Schilstra, Hendrik Vonk, Lilian van de Zande and since recently also Hans de Vries, we wish his friends and family strength. Wolter was exceptionally gifted, he could take you to realms of sound in Dutch music that you had never believed possible. We had planned a studio recording of all the music we had been working on for the past two years: operas by Von Brucken Fock, Jan van Gilse, Jan Brandts Buys and some others. That we have to cancel this recording is a true blow to those wodnerful Dutch composers. Dear Wolter, wherever you are on the journey to the big unknown, we do not wish you a quiet journey at all, we wish you a lot of music and a Bösendörfer!
Miranda van Kralingen
.....Half-way Van Kralingen joins in. The old soprano stands at the left side of the grand piano, beside the pianist. The young soprano opposite them. Both lean on the black polished wood of the instrument. Both stretch their backs, the legs tight. Both on tiptoe, the singing mouths only a few inches apart. A great part of the audience is sitting a little bit more to the front.......after the final phrase Van Kralingen embraces the old mistress........
from a report in 'Vrij Nederland', oktober 1987 after a masterclass with 'Frau Professor' Schwarzkopf
This time for a change a young Dutch talent, the soprano Miranda van Kralingen. I've heard her several times during concerts- the first time in an oratorio of Haydn - and I am much impressed by her very enthusiastic way of singing. The coming season she performs the role of Leonore in Beethovens Fidelio and I'm curious how she sings comparing her great predecessor Gré Brouwenstijn.
The soprano Miranda van Kralingen, born in Oosterbeek - now living in The Hague - appeared already on her 15th as jazz singer. She started her vocal training with the The Hague' pedagogue Ank Reinders. She continued her study at the 'Sweelinck Conservatory' with the soprano Erna Spoorenberg. During her study she got on the track of the 'Groupe des Six', the club of French composers from the first half of the 20th century.Via them she started to perform classical Lieder. This study was finished cum laude in June 1987. After that she followed lessons with the alto Aafje Heynis.
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During a master class given by the famous German soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf in September 1987 in the 'Amsterdamse Concertgebouw' Miranda van Kralingen was graduated from the catogory 'Young Dutch Talent' to the 'catogory of international sopranos', coached on base of Strauss' Vier letzte Lieder. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf chooses also the young soprano for the final concert - with a.o. Strauss' 'Vier letzte Lieder' which was directly broadcasted by the Netherlands radio. The 'De Maes & Lunau Award' get Miranda van Kralingen a place in leading vocal circles in the Netherlands. Miranda van Kralingen worked together with conductors as Bernard Klee, Hans Vonk, Roelof van Driesten, Jan Stulen, Lev Markiz and Hartmut Haenchen. She appeared in oratorio of Haydn, Beethovens Ninth' Symphony, Mahlers Second Symphony (together with the much promising young alto Margriet van Reisen). At the 'Nederlandse opera' she sang among others a leading role in the world premiere of Louis Andriessens' 'Rosa, a horse drama'. At 'Opera Zuid' she was to hear as Mimi in Puccini's La Bohème. In 1988 she made a concert tour through Indonesia and Australia. Her concert in Australia was a gift from the Dutch Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus during the state visit they offered to the Australian government. Abroad she appeared many times at the 'Komische Oper Berlin', where she was praised for her interpretation of Leonore in Beethovens Fidelio in 1997 under stage-management of Harry Kupfer. Further she appeared in Schönbergs 'Von Heute auf Morgen' (1995), Katja in 'Katja Kabanova', Donna Anna in 'Don Giovanni' and Ellen Ford in 'Peter Grimes'. On this moment she rehearse for Tosca at the Welsh National Opera and the coming season she will sing again as Leonore in Beethovens 'Fidelio', now with the 'Nationale Reisopera'. Besides her many opera activities Miranda van Kralingen gives regularly Lieder recitals with pianist Tan Crone. Recently - July 2001 - Schumanns 'Frauenliebe und Leben' during the Orlando Festival.
soundSchumann, uit 'Frauenliebe....', 'Seit ich ihn gesehen', live recording
Miranda van Kralingen (Fewronija) and Günther Neumann (Grisjka) in 'The myth of the invisible city Kitesj and the girl Fewronija' of Rimski-Korsakov in a performance of the Komische Oper Berlin 1996.
Stage-management Harry Kupfer, musical direction Shao-Chia Lü. Co-production with Bregenzer Festspielen.
Miranda van Kralingen
