Ellen Valkenburg studied voice at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. She obtained her bachelor with distinction ‘for authenticity in the choice and performance of the programme’. In 2014, she completed her Master's degree in voice at the same conservatoire with Maria Acda and Sasja Hunnego.
With pianist Maurice Lammerts van Bueren Ellen forms a duo. Together, they performed recitals in Slot Zeist and for the Friends of the Song, among others. In 2021, the Zefir Records label released their first duo CD Les Apaches out, for which they received many rave reviews.
With pianist Andrea Vasi Ellen performed concerts for, among others, the NJO Muziekzomer, the Grachtenfestival, Opium on Radio 4, the Concertgebouw and the television programme Free sounds. In 2011 they won the Musico song competition and in autumn 2013 they were admitted to the Friends of Song Association's soloist database. In September 2014, they won the Friends of the IVC Prize in the final of the International Vocal Competition ’s-Hertogenbosch and in spring 2015 they won second prize at the International Liedduo Competition in Enschede.
In March 2012, Ellen was awarded the Margit Widlund Stipendium from the Prince Bernhard Culture Fund. This scholarship, established by writer Anna Enquist and her husband in memory of their deceased daughter, is intended for young singers with a special stage presence.
In addition, Ellen is part of the ensemble Coco Collectief, consisting of five singers and pianist Maurice Lammerts van Bueren. With this ensemble, she sang in Opium on Radio 4 and the Concertgebouw, among others. In October 2017, they released their first CD Winterreise worldwide from the renowned label Etcetera.
Ellen sang as a soloist with the Residentie Orkest conducted by Jan Willem de Vriend, worked as a soprano soloist with many oratorio companies, gave concerts for the Dutch Reisopera and sang at several editions of the International Song Festival in Zeist.
Ellen Valkenburg, soprano
Maurice Lammerts van Bueren, piano
The title of this programme was the name of a group of artists in Paris in the early 20th century, consisting of painters, writers, composers and musicians. This recital features songs from a short period, but the diversity is great with composers such as Delage, de Falla, Ravel, Sévérac and Strawinsky. Ellen Valkenburg performs this concert with pianist Maurice Lammerts van Bueren.
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Ellen Valkenburg, soprano
Maurice Lammerts van Bueren, piano
This programme travels to mysterious places, near and far. The opening with Robert Schumann's well-known piano piece of this title is followed by his Mignon songs. The end is formed by three French-language cycles: Cinq Mélodies Populaires Grecques and Shéhérazade By Ravel and the Mélodies Passagères by Barber. Before that, songs by Enescu, Orthel and Duparc will be heard. In this programme, Ellen Valkenburg will be accompanied by pianist Maurice Lammerts van Bueren.
Read the full programme with the explanatory notes >
Ellen Valkenburg, soprano
Maurice Lammerts van Bueren, piano
In the recital programme The Desire for Hermitage Ellen Valkenburg and Maurice Lammerts van Bueren cast a broad glance at people who live secluded from the outside world, whether forced by circumstance or not.
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Ellen Valkenburg, soprano
Maurice Lammerts van Bueren, piano
In the Netherlands, it is tradition to perform Bach's great passions in the run-up to Good Friday. However, this fine tradition is hardly reflected in the field of song: during Passion time, song gives way to the St Matthew Passion or St John Passion and the world of song lies silent for a few weeks. Ellen Valkenburg and Maurice Lammerts van Bueren thought it would be nice to put together a song recital focusing on the Passion period.
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Ellen Valkenburg, soprano
Maurice Lammerts van Bueren, piano
L'affaire Dreyfus with works by Gabriel Fauré, Vincent d'Indy, Alfred Bruneau, Edvard Grieg, Claude Debussy and Jules Massenet, among others.
‘J'accuse...!’ It is perhaps one of the most famous quotes in French history, uttered in the wake of the so-called ‘l'affaire Dreyfus’. But what exactly was this Dreyfus affair about? And what on earth does this event have to do with a song recital?
Based on the story of the Dreyfus affair, you will hear songs written during this period. The composers featured all played a part in this musical struggle.
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Ellen Valkenburg, soprano
Florian Just, baritone
Maurice Lammerts van Bueren, piano
‘Auch kleine Dinge können uns entzücken.’ With these slightly ironic words, Wolf begins his impressive cycle of short songs set to translations of Tuscan rispetti: Das Italienische Liederbuch.
These masterpieces on scale - some songs last less than a minute - are all about love, and in far from all cases that equals sweet romance ... Everyday street scenes are interspersed with desperate cries of longing, jealous bickering and brisk rejections. Also, a serenade in love sometimes turns out to sound quite false and the ladies not infrequently have their trousers on.
Ellen Valkenburg, Florian Just and Maurice Lammerts van Bueren select the most beautiful songs from this level musical soap opera and string them together in a dazzling scenic performance. Complementing this mini opera are beautiful French and German duets by Mozart, Mendelssohn, Fauré and Berlioz, among others. The concert concludes with an out-of-the-box encore.
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