Our staff
The day-to-day operations of the Huygens-Fokker Foundation are carried out by a team of four dedicated staff members: Sander Germanus, Sharis Coppens, Melle Weijters, and Manuel Op de Coul. More information about them is provided below.
Sander Germanus (artistic director / president) Since
2007, Sander Germanus has been leading the Huygens-Fokker Foundation and has developed into a specialist in the field of microtonality. He studied classical saxophone and composition at the Conservatoires of Amsterdam and Rotterdam, where he completed his master’s degrees cum laude and with distinction. In 2005, he obtained his laureate title at the Orpheus Institute in Ghent with a thesis on the contemporary applications of microtones. From 2009 to 2014, he taught at the Lemmens Institute in Leuven. As a composer, Germanus is regarded as a microtonal pioneer in the Netherlands. His compositions have been performed both nationally and internationally by leading ensembles and orchestras. He is regularly invited to give lectures on microtonality and maintains strong international contacts within the contemporary music world. Germanus is responsible for programming the Fokker-organ concert series, initiating projects, and shaping the foundation’s policy.
Sharis Coppens (financial director)
has been the executive director of the foundation since 2014. She is responsible for financial management, raises funds, and also plays an important role in publicising concerts and other activities organised by the foundation (including social media, newsletters, and press releases). Coppens trained as a cultural and visual anthropologist, with a particular interest in music and identity in Latin America. She has produced several (music) documentaries, including one on Peruvian chicha music. She handled production for two Dutch tours of the Bolivian Baroque ensemble Ensemble Moxos. She was also responsible for the production management of the Beeld voor Beeld film festival (2008) and the monthly discussion evening Cineblend (2007–2016), both focused on culture and visual representation, as well as the Ambacht in Beeld festival (2013–2014). In 2022, she produced a feature for the Huygens-Fokker Foundation on violist and microtonal music theorist Leo de Vries.
Melle Weijters (artistic coordinator/producer)
has been associated with the Huygens-Fokker Foundation as artistic coordinator since 2013, supporting the production of concerts. He hosts guests to demonstrate the Fokker organ and provide them with information, and he is actively involved in digitising the Huygens-Fokker archive. His publicity efforts are primarily focused on the foundation’s YouTube channel. Weijters studied jazz guitar at the Maastricht Conservatorium, where he graduated cum laude. He then experimented with fretless guitars and developed an interest in alternative tuning systems. He built a fretless 10-string electric guitar (2010), a 41-note variant (2013), and several 31-note/mean-tone guitars. Using his microtonal guitars, he has frequently triggered the Fokker organ during concerts, including improvisations on Adriaan Fokker’s additive chords and a theatrical programme based on Christiaan Huygens’ book Cosmotheoros.
Manuel Op de Coul (scientific coordinator)
has managed the scientific articles on the the Huygens-Fokker Foundation website since 1999 and is the compiler of the Tuning and Temperament Bibliography and Microtonal Discography. He is also the author of Scala, a globally recognised computer program for rendering microtonal scales and tunings. In addition, he serves in an advisory capacity. Op de Coul studied Electrical Engineering at the TU Eindhoven (1981–1988), worked until 1990 in the Sonology department of the Royal Conservatoire, and was a programmer for contemporary music at Concertzender (2003–2009). He currently also works as a system engineer at E.ON IT Nederland.
Board
Ned McGowan, chairman
Christina Viola Oorebeek, secretary
Babette Greiner, treasurer
Technical advisors
Danny de Graan
René Uijlenhoet
Jos Zwaanenburg
Jeroen Fokker
Musicians
The Huygens-Fokker Foundation works with two permanent organists, various guest organists, regular performers, and many guest musicians.
A brief history: from around 1952 until the late 1980s, Anton de Beer was the undisputed permanent Fokker organist. Around the early 1990s, organist Joop van Goozen took over, serving until 2009.
That same year, organist, harpsichordist, and pianist Ere Lievonen, an expert in both early and contemporary music, became the new permanent player of the modernised Fokker organ, resulting in dozens of successful concerts. At the end of 2018, the versatile musician Laurens de Man was appointed as the second organist, giving his first concert in January 2020. Since 2013, Anne Veinberg has been the resident pianist on the Carrillo piano, and from 2010, the various 31-tone guitars have been played by Stefan Gerritsen.
Read more about our musicians here
About the Huygens-Fokker Foundation
The Huygens-Fokker Foundation is the only centre for microtonal music in the Netherlands, providing a home for all music featuring unconventional tunings and non-standard octave divisions across diverse stylistic periods. The foundation aims to consolidate, develop, and make knowledge about microtonal music accessible to a wider public. To facilitate this knowledge transfer, the Huygens-Fokker Foundation has organised various activities since 1960 (when it was still known as the ‘Stichting Nauwluisterendheid’), including the Fokker organ concert series Orgel! since 2009, the one-day music festival MicroFest Amsterdam, but also lectures, workshops (also for children), and lecture-performances. These activities cater to multiple target audiences. As a knowledge centre for microtonality, the foundation occupies a unique position within the Dutch music field and beyond.
The Huygens-Fokker Foundation aims to stimulate the performance of microtonal music, which is increasingly gaining recognition in the international contemporary music scene. In addition to organising concerts, this is achieved through commissioning and acquiring specialised microtonal instruments, issuing composition commissions, and initiating microtonal music ensembles. The foundation also plays a crucial heritage role by maintaining and preserving a unique collection of microtonal instruments, including the 96-tone Carrillo piano (of which only a few exist), two archiphones (31-tone keyboards), an enharmonic trumpet, a five-string ‘twinline’ violin, acoustic and electric 31-tone guitars, and the Fokker organ. This exceptional organ is the world’s only fully functional acoustic 31-tone organ which has been completely renovated and modernised since 2009 and is located in the Small Hall of the Muziekgebouw.
The Huygens-Fokker Foundation’s office in the Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ also serves as a documentation centre, which can be consulted by visitors upon request, for instance for research projects. Providing musicological information to interested parties is a key task of the foundation as a documentation centre. The foundation holds a rich archive containing unique documentation on microtonality, as well as a music library comprising only microtonal scores, books, and other publications on microtonality. The most important items from the archive are being digitised, with a focus on making all research conducted by Adriaan Fokker, the designer and initiator of the Fokker organ, on the 31-tone system, as well as the writings of Christiaan Huygens in this field, accessible. Much of this information will be made available on our website, which already hosts a wealth of material on microtonal music.
The Fokker organ in the Kleine Zaal of the Muziekgebouw in Amsterdam
Over the years, the Huygens-Fokker Foundation has built a large international network through which knowledge is exchanged across different continents. It maintains contact with microtonal organisations in cities such as Los Angeles, New York, Basel, Paris, Helsinki, Salzburg, Prague, Zagreb, and London. This network results in lectures, concerts, and periodic publications both domestically and abroad. In the future, the Huygens-Fokker Foundation aims to further strengthen its position as a centre for microtonal music within the Netherlands, Europe, and the rest of the world.
History
It was the Dutch physicist Professor Adriaan D. Fokker (1887–1972) who, in 1960 in Haarlem, founded the Stichting Nauwluisterendheid. His great interest in the 31-tone system gave rise to a genuine 31-tone movement. Fokker based his work 
on the description of this tuning system provided by Christiaan Huygens in 1691 in his Lettre touchant le cycle harmonique. Around the 31-tone organ developed by Fokker in 1950 at the Teylers Museum in Haarlem, a wide range of activities emerged, including lectures, concerts, and workshops. Fokker succeeded in engaging numerous composers and musicians with the 31-tone system. Composers such as Peter Schat, Henk Badings, Hans Kox, Anthon van der Horst, Jan van Dijk, Alan Ridout, Ivan Wyschnegradsky, and Alois Hába made significant contributions to the 31-tone literature.
On 17 March 1966, the foundation’s name was changed to the Huygens-Fokker Foundation, and in 1988 it was decided to broaden its objectives, after which the foundation developed into a centre for microtonal music. The aspiration to establish a more broadly oriented centre for microtonality was evident, as the great achievements of Adriaan Fokker inspired many musicians, composers, and enthusiasts to use Christiaan Huygens’ 31-tone system as a gateway to exploring other microtonal tuning systems and tonal structures, whether or not directly related.
Limited financial resources prompted the board to seek new opportunities to realise these plans. Such opportunities arose in 1990 when Muziekcentrum De IJsbreker in Amsterdam invited the Huygens-Fokker Foundation to host concerts of contemporary microtonal music at De IJsbreker and to establish the foundation’s office and documentation centre at Weesperzijde 23 in Amsterdam. Furthermore, De IJsbreker agreed to co-produce larger projects with the foundation. This collaboration represented a major step forward in disseminating microtonal music, as these concerts and projects allowed a much larger audience to be reached.
After the activities had been initiated for two decades by Adriaan Fokker, Anton de Beer, together with the foundation’s board, continued these tasks from the late 1960s onwards. In the 1990s, Marian van Dijk served as director of the Huygens-Fokker Foundation, followed between 1998 and 2007 by Jos Zwaanenburg, Ned McGowan, and Samuel Vriezen. Since 2007, Sander Germanus is the director and artistic leader of this centre for microtonal music.
Since 2005, the Huygens-Fokker Foundation has been 
based in the Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ (Amsterdam), placing it in close proximity to the heart of Amsterdam’s contemporary music scene, as well as the location where the renovated Fokker organ received its permanent home in 2008, namely the Small Hall of the Muziekgebouw. From this location, the foundation has been able to further develop its position in Europe as a leading centre for microtonal music.
In 2008, the foundation decided to present itself more than ever as a knowledge centre for microtonality, with the dissemination of knowledge becoming its primary goal. Concerts, workshops, lectures, the archive, the library, the website, and the unique Fokker organ serve as the instruments for achieving this goal. Education plays a prominent role in this mission. The acquisition of the 96-tone Carrillo piano in 2011, along with the associated performances, was also an important addition in realising this objective.
As young and established composers and musicians in the 21st century increasingly consider microtonality as a necessary and natural extension of their means of expressing musical ideas, and due to the continuously growing interest in microtonality within the musical field, the Huygens-Fokker Foundation has proven to be of great value to the many people interested in microtonal music.
Activities
Since the renovation of the Fokker organ was completed and the instrument was installed in the Small Hall of the Muziekgebouw in Amsterdam, a variety of activities have taken place centred around this unique 31-tone organ. Through the concert series Orgel! the Huygens-Fokker Foundation has been able to reach a broader and larger audience than ever before. The Fokker organ is, after all, the foundation’s showpiece, and since 2009 numerous new works have been composed specifically for it. Fokker organ concerts may be solo performances by various musicians, but also include concerts in combination with ensembles specially initiated for the series, such as Ensemble SCALA and Vokalprojekt 31. Every few years, the foundation also organises a successful one-day festival called MicroFest Amsterdam, designed to present microtonal music in all its diverse forms. With these initiatives, the foundation also brings together various musical styles and cultures.
The Fokker organ is unique in its kind. Its keyboard, in particular, is very special but requires some practice. To give organists the opportunity to familiarise themselves with this exceptional instrument, the Huygens-Fokker Foundation organises residencies for professional organists. During these residencies, they gain practical experience with microtonal music and explore the distinctive possibilities of the Fokker organ. Composers can also spend several consecutive days working with the 31-tone organ in the Small Hall, providing them with the opportunity to compose new works for the instrument.
As the Huygens-Fokker Foundation is committed to spreading knowledge about microtonal music, it organises presentations and lectures in venues such as the Small Hall of the Muziekgebouw, offering, among other things, a historical overview of microtonality and its contemporary applications. These lectures can also take the form of lecture-performances, in which a performer is present to provide live demonstrations of music on the Fokker organ or another microtonal instrument, such as a guitar. Additionally, the foundation provides introductory talks on the third foyer deck of the Muziekgebouw prior to the organ concerts it presents in the Small Hall.
For children up to the age of 13, the foundation, in collaboration with the Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ, has developed 
an activity centred on the Fokker organ. Using a keyboard table designed to appeal to children, where each key corresponds to a computer-controlled preset, the organ can be played easily. This allows them to discover new sounds and experiment with the beauty of microtonal harmonies. Introducing children to microtonality at an early age during these sessions is of vital importance to the Huygens-Fokker Foundation in order to cultivate a future audience.
Objectives
The Huygens-Fokker Foundation promotes awareness of the existence of microtonal music and the differences between the conventional 12-tone system and alternative tuning systems. It does so by disseminating knowledge through newsletters, media, and concerts, in which specialised musicians primarily perform microtonal music. By engaging with a variety of musical styles, the foundation aims to reach a broad audience.
The foundation organises six to eight concerts annually, often with informative introductions, with a particular focus on the unique Fokker organ. This instrument brings 31-tone music closer to the public and provides a platform for musicians and composers to develop new works.
In addition, the foundation owns several specialised ensembles, delivers lectures, and organises an average of three residencies per year for research and artistic development. Periodically, an international microtonal festival is also held to promote knowledge exchange and innovation within microtonality.
To strengthen its role as a knowledge centre, it makes documents on microtonality available online, encourages the development of microtonal instruments, and shares music via videos. Through these initiatives, it aims to contribute to the further development and dissemination of microtonal music.
Christiaan Huygens and Adriaan Fokker
Christiaan Huygens (1629–1695), best known as one of the greatest scientists of the Dutch Golden Age, also devoted considerable attention to the physical aspects of music by engaging deeply throughout his life with music theory, showing a particular interest in tonal relationships and tuning systems. One of his most groundbreaking contributions was his work on the 31-tone system, an innovative method of dividing the octave into 31 equal parts. However, Huygens did not intend to create a 31-tone system; he merely pointed out that the 31-tone equal temperament provides a more accurate description of tonal relationships than meantone temperament. Christiaan Huygens presented these ideas in his Lettre touchant le cycle harmonique (Rotterdam, 1691) and in Novus cyclus harmonicus (Leiden, 1724).
Adriaan Daniël Fokker (1887–1972) was, in addition to being a professor at the University of Leiden, also curator of the Physical Cabinet at the Teylers Museum in Haarlem. In this role, during the Second World War when the university was closed, he began studying music theory, inspired by the recently published description of a 31-tone system by Christiaan Huygens. He became fascinated by this invention and delved into harmony, tuning systems, and temperaments, subsequently applying his own revolutionary ideas regarding just intonation to the 31-tone system. From 1942 onwards, he devoted most of his attention to music. As a result, in 1950 he commissioned the organ builder Pels to construct a pipe organ with 31 tones per octave, based on his own brilliant design, which included two extensive 31-tone manuals and a corresponding 31-tone pedalboard.
In doing so, Adriaan Fokker was the first to bring Christiaan Huygens’ theories into practical application.
In 1951, the so-called Fokker organ was installed in the central hall of the Teylers Museum. Fokker became a passionate promoter of the 31-tone system and was continuously engaged in bringing it to the attention of composers and musicians. He viewed the organ as an instrument that opened doors to the music of the future, free from the limitations of the twelve-tone system. Fokker gave lectures worldwide and succeeded in gaining the interest of numerous singers, musicians, and composers, thereby sparking a true 31-tone movement. To manage the organ and disseminate the music, Professor Fokker founded the ‘Stichting Nauwluisterendheid’ in 1960, which in 1966 was renamed Stichting Huygens-Fokker (Huygens-Fokker Foundation) in honour of Christiaan Huygens and Adriaan Fokker.
Click on the following links for more information about Christiaan Huygens and Adriaan Fokker.