Biography
Stijn Berkouwer is Chief conductor of Symfonieorkest de Philharmonie in Amsterdam, het Utrechts Studenten Koor en Orkest (USKO), and the Delft Student Orchestra Krashna Musika. He has conducted concerts with Het Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest, Opera Zuid, Het Gelders Orkest, het Noord Nederlands Orkest, Opera Lab Berlin and the Sachsische Bläserphilharmonie. As a participant in master classes he has worked with Bernard Haitink and David Robertson in Lucerne, with Stefan Asbury in Tanglewood, and with Peter Eötvös and Johannes Schlaefli.
As assistant conductor he has worked with Ivan Fischer and the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Antony Hermus and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Simon Rattle and the Dutch National Opera, assisted multiple productions at de Nederlandse Reisopera (Dutch Touring Opera) and a modern opera production at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin. In 2016 he was awarded the prestigious Dutch Anton Kersjes Scholarship for Young Conductors. Stijn Berkouwer studied conducting at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin and at the Conservatory of Amsterdam.
Photo by Veerle Bastiaansen
News
USKO
In 2021 Stijn Berkouwer was named Chief Conductor of the Utrechts Studenten Koor en Orkest (USKO), a group of over 150 students total with a strong Bach-tradition. In a cylcle of three years they perform the St. Matthew Passion, St. John Passion and the Hohe Messe....
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Ensemble
For years, musicians of the Concertgebouworkest have been giving chamber music concerts in the Recital Hall as part of their Close-up Series. This Close-up concert is part of the Horizon week focusing on Dutch music, Play Dutch with me. Stijn Berkouwer has been...
Media
“At the dress rehearsal Stijn Berkouwer’s gestures make an exceptionally commanding impression. He clearly possesses a sound intuition for the balance between the string and the wind sections and knows exactly at which point to rein in the volume in favour of the singers. His right hand steadily marks the beat, while the left makes the accents burst forth.”
Der Tagesspiegel 25 April 2014
Calendar
| December 14, 16 (Amersfoort, Utrecht) | USKO | Rutter, John - Gloria (1974) Elgar, Edward- Enigma Variations (1899) Elgar, Edward- Death on the Hills (1899) Taverner, John - Song for Athene (1993) Handel, Georg Frideric - Zadok the Priest (1727) |
| December 9, 10 (Amsterdam Muziekgebouw aan het IJ, Hilversum) | Symfonieorkest De Philharmonie | Wen-Chung, Chou – Landscapes (1954) Kodály , Zoltán - Háry János-suite (1926) Rimsky-Korsakof, Nikolai- Sheherazade (1888) |
| July 5, 6, 8 (Delft) | Krashna Musika Delfts Studenten Muziekgezelschap | Prokofiev, Sergei - Symphony No. 7 (1952) |
| June 17, July 1 (Utrecht Tivol, Keulen DE) | USKO | Brahms, Johannes - Requiem (1868) Strauss, Richard - Tod und Verklärung (1889) |
| June 3, 4 (Utrecht, Amsterdam Muziekgebouw aan het IJ) | Symfonieorkest De Philharmonie | Rota, Nino - La Strada Suite (1966) Rossini, Gioachino - La Gazza Ladra Ouverture (1817) Rossini, Gioachino -Il Turco in Italia Ouverture (1814) Puccini, Giacomo - Aria's and Duets Soprano: Kristina Bitenc Tenor: Eric Reddet |
| March 30, 31, April 5 (Utrecht, Maarssen, Amsterdam) | USKO | Bach, Johann Sebastian - St. Matthew Passion (1729) Evangelist: Scott Robert Shaw! Jesus: João Silva Soprano: Dana Koppes Alto: Nathalie Mees Tenor: Edmond Chu Bass: Moritz Kellner |
| March 10, 12 (Amsterdam, Weesp) | Symfonieorkest De Philharmonie | Taneyev, Sergey Ivanovich - St. John of Damascus (1884) |
| February 24, 25 (Delft, Utrecht) | Krashna Musika Delfts Studenten Muziekgezelschap | Mahler, Gustav - Symphony No. 5 |