I have been a member of Vrienden van het Lied for almost thirty years. After a vacancy arose for a contact person in the Utrecht branch in 2005, I became actively involved in organising lied recitals at various locations in Utrecht, Houten and Nieuwegein-Vreeswijk. It was a special experience to hear recitals in a living-room atmosphere and on small-scale stages. I had previously been a board member for a number of years, but my work in education demanded a lot of time.
Music was instilled in me from an early age. That started with playing the piano and attending concerts. I was ten when I attended my first Matthäus-Passion in Naarden. At the age of twelve, opera followed, Die Entführung aus dem Serail And my first Schubert liedrecital I heard at the age of sixteen, in the Circustheater in Scheveningen featuring Elly Ameling. Together with my friend Huub, I visit many concerts, plays, operas, liedrecitals, and so on every year.
Vrienden van het Lied is celebrating its 65th anniversary this year and a COLOUR-ful programme is being prepared for the anniversary day on 18 October. It is a great honour to be chairman and, together with the board, the artistic advisory council (AAC), the committees, the working groups, the regional contact persons, the members and above all the musicians, to ensure a colourful, inspiring, innovative and flourishing association, now and in the future.
Robert Koch
president
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