Among the musicians of Friends of the Song, you will find up-and-coming talent, as well as singers and instrumentalists who are now well known both at home and abroad.
Florian Just began his musical training at an early age with the Dresdner Kreuzchor and completed his studies at the Conservatories of Amsterdam and Metz with Udo Reinemann. The Amsterdam-based baritone enjoys a varied international career on the opera and concert stage, as well as in the oratorio and chamber music world.
Limburg baritone Vincent Kusters is a sought-after concert and Lieder singer who is at home in both oratorio and opera and has a great affinity for classical song. His repertoire includes works from the Renaissance to contemporary compositions, some of which are dedicated to him.
Matthijs Mesdag grew up in a musical family. He studied solo singing and was part of Ton Koopman's Amsterdam Baroque Choir for many years. He could also be heard at home and abroad in oratorios, various operas and as an interpreter of song.
Daniël Hermán Mostert is active as an ensemble singer and as an oratorio, opera and Lieder singer. He has been with the Groot Omroepkoor in Hilversum since 2010.
Robbert Muuse is a true song singer. Besides performing the better-known song repertoire, he seeks the challenge in rediscovering unknown or forgotten music. His interpretations are praised for the focused, warm and clear tone with which he sings and the clear diction that enhances his profound musical interpretation.
Artur Rożek completed his vocal studies cum laude, after which several scholarships enabled him to participate in important competitions and master classes. Artur sings solo parts in a range of oratorios, and the art of song also brings him to stages at home and abroad with various pianists.
Martijn Sanders has sung several opera roles at international festivals. He has also gained a great reputation as a song singer and concert soloist and can be heard on the important stages at home and abroad.
Marie François is a versatile pianist with performances across Europe and the US. She has already released several CDs, and is making a podcast about the creation process of her CD of Chopin's Nocturnes. She forms a duo with Kelly Poukens.
Femke de Graaf started playing music at an early age, soloing in Beethoven's First Piano Concerto at the age of 15. She obtained her master's degree with a specialisation in song accompaniment.
Jan-Paul Grijpink studied at the conservatories of Utrecht and Amsterdam where he specialised in song accompaniment and opera. He took master classes with Rudolf Jansen, Roger Vignoles, Helmut Deutsch and Boris Berman. Immediately after his studies, he worked at the then Opera Studio Nederland and the Nederlandse Reisopera.
Kelvin Grout has been playing the piano since childhood and studied in England at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he was taught by Graham Johnson and Gerald Moore, among others. He worked with great singers such as Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Jessye Norman. As a soloist, he endeavours to raise awareness of British piano heritage.
Jacobus den Herder studied at the conservatories of Zwolle and Amsterdam and completed his studies with David Kuyken and Willem Brons in 2011. He performs regularly with mezzo-soprano Rosanne van Sandwijk and baritone Jan-Willem Baljet.
From the very beginning, Maarten Hillenius specialised in accompanying singers. He gave concerts in many countries and accompanied song courses at home and abroad.
Apollon Kalamenios had a great passion for music from an early age and aspired to become an all-round musician. He developed his musical skills by studying piano and violin as well as composition. He is currently studying piano with David Kuyken and composition with Richard Ayres at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. He forms a duo with soprano Madeline Saputra.
Greek pianist Christina Maria Koti studied in London and Paris. She performs frequently with her duo partner baritone Jared Michaud, with whom she also won several awards.
Maurice Lammerts van Bueren has devoted himself entirely to song accompaniment. He works with many singers. He also works as a chamber musician with several instrumentalists and ensembles.
Canadian pianist Michelle Lynne is a much sought-after chamber musician, pianist and teacher. She performs regularly in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Switzerland. She has won several prizes in international piano competitions and her performances are praised for their emotional depth and technical virtuosity.
Laurens de Man studied piano, organ and minor harpsichord with Jacques van Oortmerssen, David Kuyken and Johan Hofmann at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. In 2024, he was the first organist to receive the Dutch Music Prize. He forms a duo with mezzo-soprano Eline Welle.
Reinild Mees made her name as a song pianist and performed with many renowned singers. She is a warm advocate of the song repertoire of the early 20th century and the work of women composers.
This website uses cookies that are necessary for the website to function properly. By clicking “Accept all”, you agree to the use of these cookies. You can adjust the cookie settings by clicking on "Cookie settings".
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorised as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyse and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyse the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
