With music, dance and warm words we said farewell to Henk van der Meulen as the principal of the Royal Conservatory last Thursday. For 14 years, Henk devoted his artistry and leadership to the Royal Conservatory and dance program, the School of Arts in The Hague and the Royal Academy of Art. He meant a lot to international music education and to the education of artists in general. For that we are very grateful!

With performances by students of all ages and departments and spread out over various locations throughout the building, both students and the KC institute were highlighted. From a children's choir to dance and music education and from early music to jazz and new compositions, the program had a lot to offer. One of the highlights was ‘Melodies’, a composition Henk wrote himself back in 1989, being performed by 16 vocalists and led by conductor Georgi Sztojanov. But there were also beautiful words from the new principal Lies Colman, colleague Martin Prchal, Sven Arne Tepl (director of the Residentie Orkest), Pierre Audi (general director of the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence and artistic director of The Armory New York) and many others who were close to his heart.

Henk: "My farewell last Thursday was a beautifully event. Many thanks for that to the organization. The overall programming, the heartwarming performances and speeches but certainly you/your presence made this all an impressive, at times moving and in all senses unforgettable event for me."

Farewell gift
As a farewell gift, many guests contributed to the Fund for Excellence of the Royal Conservatoire, which facilitates scholarships and special projects for Royal Conservatoire students. Also want to do a contribution? See https://www.koncon.nl/en/support-us/become-donor?

Photography: Alex Schröder