Femke de Graaf started piano lessons with Lilian Lotichius. At the age of 17, she soloed in Schumann's piano concerto with the CREA Orchestra conducted by Bas Pollard. Piano concertos by Haydn and Mozart followed later.
Femke continued her piano studies with Mila Baslawskaya at the Amsterdam Conservatory, where she obtained her Master's degree in 2005. At an early age, her interest in song was sparked. She therefore studied song accompaniment with Rudolf Jansen and opera coaching with Han Louis Meyer in addition to her solo studies. She took master classes with Roger Vignoles, Kelvin Grout, Graham Johnson and Thomas Quasthof, among others.
From 2005 to 2009, Femke worked as correpetitor of the Sweelinck Academy, a course for young talent at the Amsterdam Conservatory of Music. She then continued as a freelance musician. She has a teaching practice, works as a repetiteur with choirs and as an accompanist for master classes, including the annual Arosa Kulturwochen in Switzerland. She is also attached to the education department of De Nationale Opera, where she gives workshops to secondary school students.
Femke has been a duo with soprano since her student days Francis van Broekhuizen. With her and with baritone Martijn Sanders she is associated with the Friends of the Song Association, which organises song concerts throughout the Netherlands in living rooms and small venues. Since 2021, Femke has been on the Artistic Advisory Board of this Association. She also has an ensemble with singers Marina Besselink and Valerie Friesen, a duo with violinist Ingrid van Dingstee and regularly works with conductor/baritone Jeroen Spitteler and vocal teacher/alt Mariette Witteveen.
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