Irene Maessen has built up a broad song repertoire. Her affinity with the French impressionist repertoire is striking. As an opera singer, she performed many roles, especially in Mozart operas.
She also performs with the leading Dutch orchestras and is in great demand as a chamber music singer. Moreover, she focuses on contemporary music and has premiered several new works, including songs and operas, composed especially for her. With pianist Marja Bon, she gives master classes for duos. Since 2007/2008, Irene Maessen has taught classical singing in the music theatre department at the Arnhem Conservatory of Music.
Irene Maessen studied with Cora Canne Meijer at the Amsterdam Conservatory. She then took lessons with Arleen Auger and was a prizewinner at the International Elly Ameling Concours, the Cristina Deutekom Concours, and the International Vocalist Competition in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. She was also awarded the Silver Vriendenkrans of the Friends of the Concertgebouw.
Irene Maessen, soprano
Reinild Mees, piano
Bea Goethart, narrator
Irene Maessen and pianist Reinild Mees have put together a programme for the 2020/2021 season around the French poets Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine. This recital follows the lives of these two opposites and their complex relationship. Their poetry has inspired countless composers to write songs. Naturally, there will be a lot of French music by Fauré, Hahn and Debussy, among others, but also by Dutchmen such as Léon Orthel, Hendrik Andriessen and Leo Kok.
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Irene Maessen, soprano
Reinild Mees, piano
Together with pianist Reinild Mees, Irene Maessen performs a varied programme of compositions by exclusively female composers. Featured are, among others, Clara Schumann, Anna Cramer, Cécile Chaminade, Lili Boulanger, Marjo Tal and Ruth Crawford-Seeger.
Irene Maessen, soprano
Ursula Dütschler, fortepiano
Together with fortepianist Ursula Dütschler, Irene Maessen will perform a varied programme on the theme of ‘nature and love’. The programme includes songs by Haydn, natural Der Einsame by Schubert, some ‘Arie Antiche’ and a new composition by Sylvia Maessen, composed especially for the duo.
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Irene Maessen, soprano
Maurice Lammerts van Bueren, piano
In the programme The Dutch Chopin halen soprano Irene Maessen and pianist Maurice Lammerts van Bueren two Dutch composers from oblivion. Zeeland's double talent Gerard von Brucken Fock was complimentarily called ‘The Dutch Chopin’ by Norwegian Edvard Grieg at the time. Hence, there will also be songs and piano music by Edvard Grieg and Frédéric Chopin (who ever hears Chopin's moving songs as in this programme?). Dirk Fock, who emigrated to America, composed beautiful romantic songs and piano works. Both Dutchmen are not out of place alongside the two famous greats Chopin and Grieg.
For as long as Irene has been singing, she has been an advocate for forgotten Dutch composers, even now you can hear the music of these composers unjustly left on the shelf.
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Irene Maessen, soprano
Ursula Dütschler, fortepiano
Irene and Ursula were inspired by Schubert's Winterreise and put together a new winter journey. In addition to a selection of the poignant songs from Winterreise by Franz Schubert - to poems by Wilhelm Müller - other compositions can also be heard. Processing loss (being rejected by a loved one in the case of the Winterreise) has been experienced and shaped by many artists, including female poets and composers. The bleak, fateful ending of the original storyline of the Winterreise may just take a surprising turn during the new version by these experienced women ...
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