Musicians

Ere Lievonen

Ere Lievonen (Oulu, 1972) is the first organist of the Fokker organ. In addition to being an organist, he is also a harpsichordist, pianist, fortepianist, composer and arranger. He studied piano and organ at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and completed these studies in the Netherlands, where he has lived since 1997. There he obtained diplomas in organ and harpsichord performance, historical pianos, early music and contemporary music at the conservatoires of Amsterdam, Utrecht and The Hague. He studied with, among others, Jacques van Oortmerssen, Bart van Oort, Jacques Ogg, Siebe Henstra, Annelie de Man and Miklós Spány. In addition, he took masterclasses with, among others, Jean Boyer, Hans-Ola Ericsson, Lars Ulrik Mortensen, Andrea Marcon, Stanley Hoogland, Zsigmond Szathmáry and Malcolm Bilson.

As a performer, Lievonen specialises both in historical performance practice and historical keyboard instruments, as well as in contemporary music, particularly contemporary music on the harpsichord and other historical instruments. In recent years, he has added the harmonium to his repertoire of instruments. Lievonen has performed as a soloist and as a chamber musician at numerous festivals for early and contemporary music in various European countries and the United States, and has given the first performances of more than 250 new works. He has also performed as a fortepiano duo with Tullia Melandri and played harpsichord in several baroque ensembles, such as ALGO and Beauty and the Beasts. He is one of the founders of Ensemble Ambrosius, a Finnish ensemble that performs new music on early instruments and has recorded two CDs with music by Frank Zappa. In addition, he is a member of the contemporary music ensemble Hexnut and of Salon Eusebius, an ensemble he founded himself in 2011, which performs chamber music from the 18th and 19th centuries on historical instruments. He also performs as a keyboard duo with pianist Anne Veinberg. Orchestras he has worked with include the Helsinki Philharmonic, the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, the North Netherlands Orchestra, the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra.

As an organist, he plays not only the Fokker organ but also regularly performs on the historic organ in the Geertekerk in Utrecht and gives organ concerts both in the Netherlands and abroad. From an early age, Lievonen has had a keen interest in microtonal music. At the Conservatorium van Amsterdam he took the intensive courses ‘Advanced Rhythm’ and ‘Contemporary Music through Non-Western Techniques’ with Rafael Reina, where he immersed himself in South Indian Carnatic music and learned to think differently about both pitch and rhythm. This has enabled him to master the most unusual and complex scores. For these reasons, the Huygens-Fokker Foundation invited him in 2009 to become the permanent organist of the Fokker organ. With now 15 years of experience on the Fokker organ, Lievonen has become a leading performer in the field of microtonal music. He is an outstanding organist who always gives his all and does not stop until he has mastered everything. As Fokker organist he plays a central role in two resident ensembles of the Huygens-Fokker Foundation: Ensemble SCALA and Vokalprojekt 31.

More information: erelievonen.eu

Laurens de Man

Laurens de Man (Den Bosch, 1993) is the second organist of the Fokker organ. He is a gifted musician who is active as both a pianist and organist, performing both as a soloist and in chamber music settings. Since 2020 he has been the second organist of the Fokker organ. He combines his love for early and classical music with an adventurous openness towards modern music, in which he moves with ease.
In 2024 Laurens received the Dutch Music Prize, the highest distinction awarded by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science to a musician in classical music. NRC had already highlighted him in 2020 as “one of the ten classical musicians you should keep your ears open for” in their list of 101 promising cultural talents from the Netherlands and Dutch-speaking Belgium.
Laurens studied piano, organ and subsidiary subject harpsichord at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam with Jacques van Oortmerssen, David Kuyken and Johan Hofmann respectively. He obtained his master’s degree in organ cum laude in 2016 and his master’s degree in piano in 2017 with the distinction ‘outstanding’. From 2017 to 2019 he continued his organ studies with Leo van Doeselaar at the Berlin Universität der Künste, where he completed the prestigious Konzertexamen with the highest marks. During his studies Laurens took masterclasses with, among others, Willem Brons, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Pascal Devoyon, Abdel Rahman el Bacha and Rudolf Jansen for piano, and with Olivier Latry and Lorenzo Ghielmi for organ (including the Young Talent Class of the Haarlem Organ Academy in 2010).
Laurens has won various prizes at national and international competitions, including the Prinses Christina Concours (1st prize, The Hague), Klavierwettbewerb J.S. Bach (Würzburg), Martini Organ Competition (1st prize, Groningen), Silbermann Wettbewerb (1st prize, Freiberg), where he was named “ECHO Young Organist of the Year 2020”. In 2018 he received the Sweelinck-Muller Prize, an award for young organists who succeed in giving an innovative impulse to the organ culture.
The oeuvre of J.S. Bach plays a central role in Laurens’ musical activities. He has performed at the Bachfestival Dordrecht and played Bach on television programmes such as De Wereld Draait Door and Podium Witteman. His interpretations of Bach’s Goldberg Variations and other programmes have been enthusiastically received, including at the Orgelpark in Amsterdam. In November 2017 he released a CD with keyboard works by Bach. At the Bachkliniek, an initiative by theatre maker Jacqueline Hamelink (Sounding Bodies), he gave unique one-to-one concerts with music by Bach in August 2019. In 2023 he performed as continuo player in Bach’s St Matthew Passion with the Netherlands Bach Society, with performances throughout the Netherlands. Laurens is pianist of the Chimaera Trio, with which he performs and arranges chamber music spanning four centuries. The trio has released two CDs. In addition, he regularly performs with other ensembles and soloists. Since 2012 Laurens has been principal organist of the Janskerk in Utrecht. In the 2022-2023 season he was “Organist in Residence” of the Contius organ in Leuven. From September 2023 he has been appointed principal subject teacher of organ at the Utrecht Conservatorium. He is also affiliated as a teacher of subsidiary subject classical piano at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, where he coaches jazz pianists in their classical development.

More information: laurensdeman.com

Anne Veinberg

The Australian pianist Anne Veinberg is the regular performer of the Carrillo piano and is a versatile musician with a deep passion for contemporary music and a unique approach to her instrument. As a soloist, ensemble member and improviser she brings a wide range of musical experiences to life, both within and beyond the traditional concert hall. Veinberg is known for her adventurous spirit and her ability to explore new sounds and ideas. Her repertoire encompasses not only the classical and modern piano literature, but also rare instruments such as toy pianos and the 96-tone Carrillo piano.
Anne’s close collaboration with contemporary composers forms a central thread in her artistic practice. She has premiered works by, among others, Felipe Ignacio Noriega, Andys Skordis, Marcel Wierckx and Charlie Sdraulig, and has worked with composers such as Wim Henderickx, Vanessa Lann and Karlheinz Essl. She is a member of various ensembles, including Duo Kolthof|Veinberg, Duo Kortekaas|Veinberg and Offzz, in which she combines live coding with piano playing. Her innovative project CodeKlavier, which she founded together with Felipe Ignacio Noriega, explores the artistic possibilities of live coding through the piano. With CodeKlavier’s ARquatic she carried out a special tour through the botanical gardens of the Netherlands, a project that was awarded the Joke ’t Hart Prize in 2022. Anne’s performances can be heard at renowned festivals such as Gaudeamus Music, Rewire, Sonorities and La Escucha Errante. She succeeds in inspiring her audience not only in the concert hall, but also beyond it, with innovative projects that push the boundaries of traditional musical experience.
Alongside her performance practice Anne teaches piano in the X programme at TU Delft and is active as a concert organiser. Since 2018 she has been part of the board of Stichting Toets des Tijds and since 2024 of Stichting Present Sound. Her artistic vision is also supported by her academic background: in 2012 she completed her master’s studies with David Kuyken at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, and since 2015 she has been conducting doctoral research in the DocArtes programme at the Orpheus Institute. With a Yamaha grand piano from the Willem G. Vogelaar collection, on loan from the National Musical Instruments Fund, Anne continuously explores new musical horizons. Her drive and curiosity make her one of the most fascinating pianists of her generation.

More information: anneveinberg.com

Stefan Gerritsen

Stefan Gerritsen is the regular performer of the 31-tone guitar, an instrument based on the tuning system of the 17th-century Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens. Thanks to its pure thirds this instrument is excellently suited for music from the Renaissance and Baroque, but also for contemporary music. With this guitar Stefan is part of the microtonal ensemble SCALA, in which he also plays electric guitar.
He is a versatile classical guitarist with a repertoire ranging from early music to the newest compositions. In addition, he does not shy away from adventure and initiates new projects to expand the repertoire for the classical guitar. With Verso, his duo with panflutist Matthijs Koene, he won many competitions, such as the Vriendenkrans and Concertgebouw Prize (Amsterdam, 2003), Cómradio Contemporary Music Prize (Barcelona, 2003), finalist position in “the CAG Music Competition” New York (2005 and 2006), IBLA Grand Prize Top Winner Award and Piazzolla Award (Italy, 2006). In 2007 they made their debut at Carnegie Hall in New York. They have made several CDs, which were very well received. Their second CD Chasing Piazzolla received four stars in de Volkskrant in June 2016, in which Stefan was praised as a “grandiose guitarist”. Some press quotes: “Verso are highly skilled, very professional and charismatic performers” (Classical Guitar Magazine, 2010) “They are very, very good.”
Stefan has contributed to the creation and performance of many new compositions. This concerns not only music for different ensembles, but also solo repertoire and, more recently, compositions for the combination of choir and guitar. In addition to his efforts for new music for guitar in combination with other instruments, he is also a passionate interpreter of the Spanish and South American repertoire and plays early music from Sweelinck to Bach.
Stefan studied at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam with Lex Eisenhardt and obtained the diploma Docerend Musicus with distinction in 1998. In 2000 he completed his Tweede Fase studies cum laude. In addition to his lessons at the conservatoire he was intensively coached by the Canadian guitar virtuoso Laura Young. In 2001 he studied at the renowned Escola Luthier in Barcelona with Alex Garrobé. He also took part in many international guitar festivals and masterclasses with, among others, Manuel Barrueco, Nigel North and Roberto Aussel. He was a finalist in several guitar competitions and won second prize at the international guitar competition of Zwolle in November 2006. In August 2005 Stefan gave a recital with Renaissance and Baroque music for Queen Beatrix. Stefan has performed with renowned contemporary music ensembles and is part of various ensembles for contemporary chamber music. In addition, he appears as a soloist with larger ensembles, such as in the lute concerto in D by Antonio Vivaldi and the guitar concerto by Heitor Villa-Lobos. He has been heard many times on radio and television in a wide variety of musical styles: from a tango performance with the Argentine singer Roxana Fontan to new music for the 31-tone guitar.

More information: stefangerritsen.com

More musicians

The Huygens-Fokker Foundation collaborates with various musicians, including those from its own microtonal ensembles, namely Vokalprojekt 31 and Ensemble SCALA. The vocal ensemble has consisted since its founding in 2015 of Valeria Mignaco (soprano) and Alfrun Schmid (mezzo-soprano), and a year later Daan Verlaan (tenor), with participation from the aforementioned regular organist Ere Lievonen (31-tone organ). Ensemble SCALA gave its first concert at the end of 2010 and still largely consists of the same group of musicians, namely Raymond Honing (flute), Michel Marang (clarinet), Manuel Visser (viola), Stefan Gerritsen (microtonal guitar), again Ere Lievonen (31-tone organ), and from about three years later Anne Veinberg (96-tone piano/keyboards) and Glenn Liebaut (percussion). In addition, composer and pianist Guus Janssen and microtonal guitarist Melle Weijters have several times performed with or on the Fokker organ.

Examples of other guest musicians with whom the Huygens-Fokker Foundation has collaborated during the Fokker organ concert series (titled Orgel!) at the Muziekgebouw include Bram Stadhouders (guitar), Jacob Lekkerkerker (organ), Ruña ‘t Hart (violin), Una Cintiņa (organ), Rutger Muller (performing composer), Lenneke van Staalen (Indian violin), Heiko Dijker (tabla), Gregory Oakes (quarter-tone extended clarinet), Martijn de Graaf Bierbrauwer (baritone), Ned McGowan (composition and flute), Mervyn Groot (percussion), Jellantsje de Vries (violin), Marnix Vinkenborg (live electronics), Georg Vogel (M-Claviton), David Dornig (31-tone guitar), Valentin Duit (drums), Ivan Pavlov (microtonal piano), Jan-Bas Bollen (performing composer), Tolgahan Çoğulu (microtonal guitar), Fie Schouten (clarinet), Galdric Subirana (percussion), Inge Ariesen (oboe), Oene van Geel (violin), Cengiz Arslanpay (ney), Bart van Dongen (keyboards), Boris Bezemer (performing composer), Katharina Gross (cello), Wouter Snoei (performing composer), Joseph Puglia (violin), Erks Jan Dekker (baritone), Felipe Ignacio Noriega (performing composer), Emmy Storms (violin), Irene Kok (cello), Sarah Jeffery (recorder), Carolina Eyck (theremin & voice), Jan Hage (organ), Juho Myllylä (recorder), Birgit Gunzl (dance), Alexander Moosbrugger (organ), Ernestine Stoop (Carrillo harp), Harrie Starreveld (shakuhachi & microtonal flute), Maarten Havinga (organ), Iris Tjoonk (trombone), Susanne Kujala (organ), Johannes Keller (organ & archicembalo), Diamanda Dramm (violin), Masato Suzuki (organ), Warren Burt (organ), Yoonhee Lee (violin), Mikko Perkola (viola da gamba), Judith van Driel (violin), Marleen Wester (violin), Nora-Louise Müller & Ákos Hoffman (Bohlen-Pierce clarinet), Maarten van Veen (microtonal piano), Hugo van Neck (organ), Andreas Arend (lute), Robbert van Hulzen & Clara de Mik (gamelan), Jos Zwaanenburg (flute), Keiko Shichijo (piano), Tiemo Wang (baritone), Bart de Kater (clarinet), Clara Kim (violin), Hannah Shaw (viola), Örs Köszeghy (cello), David Kweksilber (clarinet/saxophone), Fang Weiling (erhu), Cees van der Poel (organ), Hubert-Jan Hubeek (saxophone), Elske Tinbergen (baroque cello), Edward Leach (tenor), Arnout Lems (baritone), Adam Jeffrey (percussion), and others.
In addition, the Huygens-Fokker Foundation has collaborated with many composers, whose works have been premiered by the musicians listed above.

History musicians

In the past, several musicians have dedicated themselves to the 31-tone organ or 31-tone music. From the early 1990s, Joop van Goozen was the permanent organist of the Fokker organ at the Teylers Museum, where it had stood for fifty years. Prior to him, this honourable role was held by Anton de Beer, who began as the permanent organist of the Fokker organ in 1952 and continued playing the instrument until the late 1980s. During the first two decades, the Fokker organ was also played occasionally by others, including Frans van Doorn and Adriaan Fokker himself. In the meantime, the 31-tone tuning was also promoted by the legendary violin duo Bouw Lemkes and Jeanne Vos, who performed concerts outside the Teylers Museum in Haarlem and even undertook an extensive American tour on behalf of the Huygens-Fokker Foundation during the 1976-1977 season. The very first organist of the then-new 31-tone organ was Paul Christiaan van Westering, who at that time was already a well-known figure in the music world. Below is more information about these musicians.

Joop van Goozen (1960) studied harpsichord with Kees Rosenhart and Ton Koopman, and organ with Bernard Bartelink and Jacques van Oortmerssen at the Sweelinck Conservatorium in Amsterdam. He completed these studies in 1987 (D.M.) and 1988 (U.M.), respectively. In addition, he specialised under Klaas Hoek in contemporary organ repertoire. In 1982, he was appointed conductor/organist of the St. Bavokerk in Heemstede. He won prizes at organ competitions in Nijmegen (1986) and Roeselare (Belgium) (1989). He premiered works by various composers, including Jos Zwaanenburg, Wim de Ruiter, Alexandre Hrisanide, and Guus Janssen.
Van Goozen’s extensive knowledge of both early and contemporary music, as well as his reputation as a performer, led to the Huygens-Fokker Foundation’s invitation for him to become the permanent player of the Fokker organ at the Teylers Museum. He fulfilled this role for many years with great regularity and dedication, until the instrument was removed from the museum in 2000. Since then, he has completed a conservatory study in conducting and now works, among other things, as a conductor. In 2009 and 2010, he played the Fokker organ for the last time.

Bouw Lemkes and Jeanne Vos, as a violin duo, began in 1959 to develop a refined approach to tuning principles. Their work was stimulated by their interest in physics and attracted considerable national and international attention. Impressive performances of Henk Badings’ first sonata for two violins by the couple aroused the interest of both the composer and Professor Fokker, as well as that of the radio and the international concert circuit. This led to a long-lasting collaboration, which can be considered historic, between the duo, Badings, and Fokker. In total, Henk Badings composed no fewer than five sonatas for two violins and a concerto for two violins and orchestra, all of which, except for “Sonata 1,” were written in the 31-tone system and dedicated to the duo. In the 1970s, sonatas 1 through 4 were recorded for a now-defunct German label. Unfortunately, with the label, the original master tapes of these musically distinguished recordings also disappeared. A work by Hans Kox, the “Serenade” (1968) for two violins in the 31-tone system, was also dedicated to them. In addition, composers including Alphonse Stallaert and Oedoen Partos wrote a violin duo, and Bill Coates composed a work for two violins and archifon, for the duo. Bouw Lemkes lived from 1924 to 2016, and Jeanne Lemkes-Vos from 1926 to 2000.

Anton de Beer was born on 27 October 1924 in Haarlem. He studied piano with Johannes Röntgen and Paul Frenckel at the Amsterdam Conservatory, harpsichord with Richard Boer, and composition with Ernest W. Mulder. In 1951 he came into contact with Professor Fokker. As a pianist and choir conductor, he felt a strong attraction to the 31-tone tuning system. In a sense, he saw it as a challenge to master the special playing technique of the 31-tone organ, the feasibility of which was initially doubted by several colleagues. From the construction of the organ in the Teylers Museum in Haarlem in 1952, he became its regular player and also served as a choir and orchestral conductor. He gave first performances of compositions written especially for this organ by, among others, Henk Badings, Hans Kox, Joel Mandelbaum, Alan Ridout, and Ivan Wyschnegradsky. He himself composed a Sonatine, a Sonata, several Little Pieces, as well as a two-part Method for the 31-tone keyboard.
At the instigation of Anton de Beer, the electronic sound principle was also applied to the 31-tone system. In 1970, Herman van der Horst of the company “Neonvox” in Wilp built an electronic instrument with keys, in which the ingeniously arranged keyboard designed by Professor Fokker was maintained, although the keys were placed slightly closer together, allowing the fingers to navigate the keyboard more quickly and securely. This instrument, the Archifoon, was introduced on 1 November 1970. For the occasion, Anton de Beer composed Intrada 1 November 1970, a short demonstration piece in which various “tricks” with overtones and their reflections were explored, and which naturally highlighted the special features of the 31-tone tuning, such as the almost pure major third and harmonic seventh. For the Archifoon, he composed a number of works, including Speelmuziek I-II (1971, 1975), some in combination with violins or voice.
For his contributions to 31-tone music, he was awarded the Jos de Klerk Prize in 1982. Anton de Beer served as chairman and member of the Advisory Board of the Huygens-Fokker Foundation, in addition to his role as Head of General Affairs at the NOS. From 1971 to 1984, he was chairman of the music committee of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Europäische Chorverbände (AGEC). He was a co-initiator of the Kirill Kondrashin Conductors’ Competition of the NOS, the Franz Liszt Piano Competition, and the International Music Competition Scheveningen. He passed away in Haarlem on 1 February 2000.

Paul Christiaan van Westering (Amsterdam, 9 July 1911 – Zandvoort, 3 March 1991) was the first performer of Professor Adriaan Fokker’s 31-tone organ (in the Teylers Museum in Haarlem), also known as the Fokker organ, for which he composed several pieces and in 1952 wrote a playing method. He also worked as cantor/organist in various locations throughout the Netherlands and as a music editor for the Haagse Post, known for his interviews, critiques, and record reviews. In addition, he was a contributor to the AVRO broadcasting company and the author of Gesproken portretten van bekende musici (VARA broadcasting company). His inspired talks on music attracted large audiences throughout the Netherlands. He was also an organist, pianist, and composer.
He studied composition with Jan Mul, instrumentation with Henk Badings, and organ with Marcel Dupré in Paris. He composed an opera, an oratorio, cantatas, three musicals, ballets, film music, and over one hundred concert songs. Special attention was drawn to his fresh children’s songs on texts by Annie M.G. Schmidt, of which about nineteen were published under the title DIKKERTJE DAP by publisher DE TOORTS in Haarlem. He is also known for his setting of the Dutch version of the Credo, the Apostolische Geloofsbelijdenis. As an author, he published De instrumenten van het orkest (1952) and De mens achter de musicus (1965). His archive is held at the Netherlands Music Institute. Twice his compositions were awarded an AVRO prize, as well as the Visser-Neerlandia Prize in 1963. His compositions Fanfare, Berceuse, and the chorale Al is ons prinsje nog zo klein (LBCD 87), as well as Suite de concert (LBCD 88), have been released on CD.