We’ve now officially entered the last stretch of the concert season, only 2 months left! But it’s going to be a busy two months. In addition to my teaching I’ll be playing regularly throughout the Netherlands and in Italy. Lots of fun projects coming up with great colleagues, check out my concert agenda for more information.

We’re still in the midst of some wintery weather in the Netherlands but spring is just around the corner! It was a big happening this year as the canals in Amsterdam froze, but there was only one or two good days for skating before the temperature rose and they melted again! It’s been quite a busy period so far, travelling all over the Netherlands. I’ve had the opportunity to play some great concerts with great colleagues and I’m looking forward to more of the same in the coming months. The concert agenda has been updated for the period up to my summer holiday, and I can share that I’ve been invited to perform at the Cervo Chamber Music festival in Italy this June. It’s going to be a fun week of sun, sea, and chamber music! I’m ending the season on a high note with Lisa Jacobs & The String Soloists in the Concertgebouw as part of the Robeco Summer Nights series, featuring a solo piece for viola and string orchestra by Allessandro Rolla performed by yours truly! Then in true jet set style I fly off the very next day to visit my family in Canada for the summer. Lots to look forward to in the coming months!

It’s been a crazy 4 months, very busy concert agenda travelling all over the Netherlands and a tour to Italy with The String Soloists. I’m really looking forward to my two weeks off now before getting back to work in January. Happy Holidays, Fijne Feestdagen, and here’s to a happy and musical 2018!

I had a really great summer, I hope everyone else did as well. After finishing a 3 week run of shows with Sinfonia Rotterdam and Conny Janssen Danst I got to officially end my season by joining in with the Tim Kliphuis Sextet for a children’s concert in Alkmaar. It was a really fun way to end the season, with some bluegrass and jazz, before setting off on holiday the next day! I spent 6 days visiting a dear friend in Reykjavik, before returning home to the Netherlands. We had some really nice weather, and I got to meet up with lots of friends. At the end of July I played one little fun concert with Lisa Jacobs & The String Soloists, on the water in Den Bosch. It was a really fun evening and very warm weather, so it still felt like part of my holidays. Then I took the train from Amsterdam to Marseille for a week of sun and sea on the French Mediterranean coast. Exploring Marseille was really interesting, and I can definitely recommend it as a holiday destination! Then it was a slow build back to the official start of the concert season. I was lucky to start off my season by subbing in as assistant principal viola with the Gelders Orkest in Arnhem, for their series of outdoor summer concerts. Unfortunately the weather didn’t always agree with us, but they were all sold out and we all had a great time. I have a lot of really great projects coming up this season and I’m excited to get to work on them all!

I can’t believe it’s been so long since I last wrote, but life has been a whirlwind. Been busy with all kinds of projects, but a lot with my dear colleagues in The String Soloists. We have a packed 2017-2018 concert season, as well as the release of our second album with Lisa Jacobs in October. I recently also got the wild experience of recording a live pop album in the famous Amsterdam Concertgebouw with Ellen ten Damme (in her Magpie Orchestra). The album “Paris” can be expected in stores in September, I can’t wait! In the last stretch before summer holidays but I still have a busy month and a bit ahead of me with some really cool concerts with Sinfonia Rotterdam as well as my first ever time at the North Sea Jazz Festival, reuniting with Steve Coleman and his band for an encore performance of Synovial Joints. Lots of music making in the weeks ahead!

We’re in the home stretch of PABLO shows with Sinfonia Rotterdam and Scapino Ballet Rotterdam. It’s been a crazy 3 months touring all over the Netherlands, and a fun time hanging out with my colleagues. Although it will be nice to start playing some new music, it will be a difficult transition to not see these people every week! But until then, we still have 4 shows left to enjoy. Viva el gato montés!!!

Since the beginning of January, in addition to all my other projects, I’ve been keeping busy touring the Netherlands with the ballet production PABLO from Scapino Ballet Rotterdam. Together with Sinfonia Rotterdam we’re travelling across the Netherlands with this modern ballet performance inspired by the life of Pablo Picasso. We’ve had lots of sold out halls, and great reviews, which is always nice. This past week I got to play in my own city of Haarlem, where we got an enthousiastic response from the public and a great review of the performance in the Noord Hollands Dagblad. We will continue to tour with this show through February and into March, so look for it at a theater near you (as long as near you is in the Netherlands).

After celebrating Christmas and New Years it was right back in the swing of things this past week with a series of concerts with Sinfonia Rotterdam. It’s always nice to spend time with my colleagues in this orchestra and it was the perfect way to start off 2017. Onwards and upwards!

Last week I had another great round of concerts with The String Soloists, featuring Lisa Jacobs on solo violin. We performed our concert program “l’Arte del Violino” in Oudenbosch, Rhenen, and Amsterdam. Coincidentally (not a coincidence) that is also the name of the CD we recorded with Lisa of 3 Locatelli concertos for violin and string orchestra. The CD has been very well received, with great reviews from both Dutch and international press. The String Soloists is a small string ensemble where we often play with only one or two people per part – hence we are all soloists. As well as performing regularly with Lisa various members of the ensemble also get their chance in the spotlight. This series of concerts featured 3 of the ensemble members plus Lisa playing one of Vivaldi’s concertos for 4 solo violins (plus string orchestra). Plans are already underway for programs which will feature other members of the ensemble next season. It’s always such a pleasure to work with The String Soloists and Lisa, as not only are they all fabulous musicians but also great people and very fun to be galavanting around the Netherlands with. If you’re interested in purchasing a copy of the CD, it’s available through Lisa’s webshop here.

photo credit: Dan Crusio