For five years, Teuny van Wijgerden poured her heart and soul into Vrienden van het Lied as secretary. Even though her health was increasingly failing her, she remained cheerful and enthusiastic. Following her resignation, she was appointed an honorary member. To ensure Teuny and her love for lied art are permanently remembered, her estate has decided to support us annually with a donation of €2,000. To manage this, the Lied Teuny van Wijgerden fund has been established.
This fund, established in late 2024, aims to stimulate interest in the art of song among young, talented musicians and contribute to their development in performance. The support of this fund makes it possible to strengthen the financial basis under the provision of workshops, master classes and auditions, and to provide young talent with a concert platform.
With the establishment of the Lied Teuny van Wijgerden Fund, the association has created a new award: the Vrienden van het Lied Prize and the Dag van het Lied Prize. In March 2025, the award was presented for the first time.
The Friends of the Song Prize is made possible through a collaboration between Vrienden van het Lied and Podium 1919 and consists of a prize-winner performance at Podium 1919.
The Dag van het Lied Price consists of a one-year free membership of the association and access to the Dag van het Lied. This prize is especially intended for young lied duos. By giving them the opportunity to attend concerts, they can further expand and deepen their knowledge of the lied repertoire.
Vrienden van het Lied also wants to reach and support young, professional musicians in their development. And what better place for them to gain stage experience than in the intimacy of a house concert? The direct contact with the organisers and the audience gives them the opportunity to refine their performances and bring the stories they want to tell even better into the limelight. To make that possible, the song fund offers financial support by presenting the Friends of the Song Incentive Award to the best Dutch duo participating in the biennial International Student SongDuo Competition. During the 2024 competition, this prize was awarded to mezzo-soprano Jasperina Verheij and pianist Willem van den Dool, who thus had the opportunity to present themselves to the public with two song recitals for Vrienden van het Lied.
For more information about one-off or regular donations to this fund, please contact treasurer Liesbeth Reijerkerk: penningmeester@vvhl.nl
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