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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!
Robert Holl
The Dutch bass-baritone Robert Holl was born on March 10, 1947 in the city Rotterdam, Holland. Robert Holl received first prize at the 1971 International Vocal Competition at 's-Hertogenbosch. He then moved to Münich, where he continued his studies with Hans Hotter. The following year, he won first prize at the Münich International Competition.
From 1973 to 1975, he was a member of the Bavarian State Opera in Münich. Robert Holl received the honorary title of Kammersänger from the city of Vienna in 1990.
Robert Holl made his debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the special concert in Grant Park on September 21, 1991, in the last movement of Beethovens Ninth Symphony conducted by Daniel Barenboim.
Robert Holl appears as soloist with the major orchestras, and has worked with many outstanding conductors, including Claudio Abbado, Carlo Maria Giulini, Bernard Haitink, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Sir Neville Marriner, and Riccardo Chailly, among others. In January 1999, he sang Schuberts Winterreise in Chicago with Daniel Barenboim at the piano. Last season, he sang Beethoven Symphony No. 9 with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
As a frequent guest artist at music festivals, Holl has appeared at the Vienna Festival, Mozart Week Salzburg, Salzburg Festspiele, Berliner Festwochen, Flanders Festival, Prague Spring, Schubertiade Hohenems, and Settimane Musicale di Stresa. In addition, he has participated in the Festival of Tours in France and the Russian Winter Festival. Robert Holl also has sung Hans Sachs in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg conducted by Daniel Barenboim at the Bayreuth Festival and Amfortas in Parsifal with Franz Welser-Möst in Zürich.
Holl frequently collaborates with other musicians, including Peter Schreier for performances of Bach oratorios, and his wife, soprano Ellen van Lier, in Hugo Wolfs Italian Songbook.
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His extensive discography for the Preiser label includes works by Pfitzner, Reger, Franz Schmidt, Schubert, and Wolf.
Sergey Rachmaninov, 'Christus is opgestaan', text Merezhkovsky:
Source: a.o. Bach Cantatas Website
