Stijn Berkouwer studied conducting at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin and at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. 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 is Chief conductor of Symfonieorkest de Philharmonie in Amsterdam and the Delft Student Orchestra Krashna Musika.