On Sunday 9 August one of the highlights of our previous concert season can be heard on Radio West. Listen to Radio West via 89.3 or via the website from 7.00 - 8.00 or 19.00 - 20.00 and enjoy Brahms, played by the symphony orchestra of the Royal Conservatoire conducted by Jac van Steen.

The program
This concert took place on 24 November 2019 in the Nieuwe Kerk in The Hague. We were proud to have musicians of different departments working together; the orchestra consists of students of the Classical department, with soloists of the Vocal department, performing instrumentations by students of the Composition department. Students from our Art of Sound department took responsibility for a professional recording and registration of the concert. Conductor Jac van Steen was assisted by Master student Conducting Ivan Cheng.

This concert was co-hosted by the Royal Conservatoire’s Fund for Excellence. With the best teachers and internationally appealing projects, our students get the best preparation for their international career. The Fund for Excellence supports exceptional students in their advancement.

Soloists
The Brahms songs were sung by Phoebe Kirrage and Tinka Pypker. Phoebe Kirrage studied with tenor Mark Wilde at the prestigious Royal Holloway University of London, she was chosen as soloist of the Royal Holloway Choir, where she performed solos in Händel’s Messiah at St. Georges in Bristol, the Royal Albert Hall, the National Gallery and Buckingham Palace. Phoebe now studies at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague with Noa Frenkel. She has performed in various productions such as The Fairy Queen by Henry Purcell and The David Kweksilber Project.

Dutch soprano Tinka Pypker started her singing education at the Rotterdam Conservatoire Codarts at the age of twelve, studying with Frans Huijts. She soon moved on to the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, taking lessons with Lenie van den Heuvel at the School for Young Talent. She completed her Bachelor degree in June 2019, graduating with special honours. The exam committee commented on her ‘artistic maturity, vocal imagination and versatility’, rewarding her with the Fock Medal for ‘best examination’ of her academic year.

Jac van Steen enjoys a very busy career and conducts the best orchestras in Europe. In addition to his activities as conductor he is dedicated to teaching conducting at the Royal Conservatoire, where he has developed the National Master in Orchestral Conducting (NMO). He also regularly works with the Royal Northern College of Music and Chetham’s School of Music (Manchester) as well as the Royal Academy and Royal College of Music (London).

Listen to the concert
Sunday 9 August, 7.00 - 8.00 a.m. and 7.00 - 8.00 p.m.
Radio West - Klassiek op West via 89.3 or omroepwest.nl

R. Strauss – Serenade for winds, op. 7
J. Brahms – Von Ewiger Liebe, op. 43 (Kirrage), instrumentation Jamie Alpherts
J. Brahms – Regenlied, op. 59 no. 3 (Pypker), instrumentation Kasper de Oude
J. Brahms – Wie Melodien, op. 105 no. 5 (Kirrage), instrumentation Amba Klapwijk
J. Brahms – Ständchen, op. 106 no. 1 (Pypker), instrumentation Eva Beunk
J. Brahms – Serenade no. 2