Johannette Zomer

After first working for several years as a microbiological analyst, soprano Johannette Zomer began her vocal training with Charles van Tassel at the Sweelinck Conservatorium in Amsterdam, where she obtained her Performing Musician diploma. She has since received coaching from Diane Forlano (London) and Marlena Malas (New York).

Johannette's repertoire ranges from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, resulting in a highly varied and extensive concert practice. She has therefore not only worked with major Baroque specialists such as Philippe Herreweghe, Ton Koopman, Frans Brüggen, Thomas Hengelbrock, Ivor Bolton, Jordi Savall and René Jacobs, but also with conductors such as Ivan Fischer, Jaap van Zweden, Daniel Harding, Valery Gergiev and Ed Spanjaard. Furthermore, Johannette regularly gives recitals with both theorbist Fred Jacobs as forte-piano specialist Arthur Schoonderwoerd. With Fred, she is currently preparing a Dowland recital, and with Arthur, Johannette will perform the Italienisches Liederbuch by Hugo Wolf, along with Canadian tenor Colin Balzer.

She made her opera debut at the Nationale Reisopera in October 1996, when she performed the page Tebaldo in Guiseppe Verdi's Don Carlo. Since then she has appeared on the opera stage several times in roles such as Belinda, Pamina, Euridice, Dalinda and Ilia but also as Mélisande and Amanda (from Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre).

In 2013, she founded her own ensemble, the Tulipa Consort, and has since had the opportunity to perform her mainly 17th-century programmes on several major stages in Europe (including Göttingen, Saintes, Amsterdam). The ensemble's first CD was released in spring 2016: LAUDATE!, with beautiful Canti Sacri by Antonio Vivaldi, and in autumn 2017 a Bach CD with duets for soprano and oboe entitled JuSt BACH, in collaboration with oboist Bart Schneemann (Channel Classics).

And in 2016, she founded an academy in her hometown Zutphen, the Summer Academy Zutphen, through which she organises master classes, workshops, choral projects, multi-day music festivals and opera productions, creating a platform for young professionals, students and amateur musicians.