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In recent years, Dutch violinist Niek Baar has established himself as a charismatic and
serious musician, captivating audiences both nationally and internationally. He has
performed in renowned venues such as the Philharmonie Berlin, Concertgebouw
Amsterdam, Gewandhaus Leipzig, Oriental Centre Shanghai, and the Gasteig in Munich.
Niek made his solo debut with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra at just 16 years old
and has since become a regular soloist with orchestras including the Deutsche Radio
Philharmonie, Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra, Radio Philharmonic Orchestra of the
Netherlands, and the Residentie Orkest in The Hague.
After winning numerous national and international competitions and awards, such as the
Prinses Christina Concours (1st prize, 2010), the International Solo Bach Competition in
London (1st prize, 2012), the Grommek Prize at the Kronberg Festival in Germany, and the
Kersjes Prize in the Netherlands, Nieks career received a major boost in 2018 when he won
first prize at the National Violin Competition “Oskar Back.” Since then, he has performed as
a soloist with many Dutch orchestras, including the Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Radio
Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonie Zuid-Nederland, and the Concertgebouw Chamber
Orchestra, with whom he recorded his debut album “Obsession” in 2022 for Channel
Classics / Outhere Music.
A particular highlight in Nieks career was his recent return as a soloist with the Rotterdam
Philharmonic Orchestra, where he performed Max Bruchs Scottish Fantasy in three
concerts at the Rotterdam Doelen and the Concertgebouw Amsterdam. Other recent
projects include performances with the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie (featuring works by
Paganini, Bruch, and Schumann), the Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss with Isabelle van
Keulen (Mozart, Schnittke), the Israel Chamber Orchestra (Schumann), and the Royal
Bangkok Symphony Orchestra (Bruch). He has also given duo recitals with fortepianist
Kristian Bezuidenhout at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam.
Looking ahead to the 2024/25 season, Nieks schedule includes a concert tour through
Germany with the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie Herford and their chief conductor
Jonathan Bloxham (Dvořák), as well as a concerto recording and performance with the NFM
Symphony Orchestra Wroclaw in Poland under the baton of Christoph Eschenbach
(Dvořák).
Niek’s third album, featuring works by Schumann and Bruch with the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie and conductor Christoph Poppen, has been released on Channel Classics / Outhere Music in fall 2024.
Niek has developed an intensive and long-term musical collaboration with American pianist
Ben Kim. Together, they have performed duo recitals at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the
Konzerthaus Berlin, and the Gasteig München (broadcast live by BR-Klassik), culminating in
their debut at the Philharmonie Essen in November 2021. In 2018, they recorded a CD for
Avrotros Klassiek featuring duo works by Kreisler, Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven.
Niek has a particular affinity for the music of Robert Schumann, who fascinates him both as
a composer and a person. Schumann’s three violin sonatas and his rarely performed violin
concerto are central to Nieks repertoire. In 2023, he released an album of Schumanns
violin sonatas with pianist Ben Kim on the Channel Classics / Outhere Music label, which
received 5-star reviews from Trouw, Nederlands Dagblad, and Music Magazine Diapason.
Born in Rotterdam in 1991, Niek began violin lessons at the age of eight. By twelve, he was
admitted to the preparatory program at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, where he
studied with Mireille van der Wart and Peter Brunt, graduating cum laude in 2012. He then
pursued further studies at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin under Prof.
Stephan Picard, earning his master’s degree with distinction in 2016. Since then, Niek has
continued his studies in Munich with Prof. Christoph Poppen. Other influential mentors
include Mihaela Martin and Dutch cellist Anner Bylsma.
Niek plays on the ex Vornbaum violin, crafted by Carlo Bergonzi in Cremona in 1729. This
instrument, which belongs to the Tjardus Greidanus Foundation in Amsterdam, has been on
loan to Niek since 2014.
Despite his frequent travels abroad, Niek maintains a strong connection to his home
country, the Netherlands. In addition to performing numerous concerts there, he serves as
an ambassador for the bforyou foundation, which is dedicated to creating opportunities for
children in Rotterdam, his birthplace. Niek is also in the process of establishing a foundation
to loan instruments to young, talented violinists in the Netherlands.
9.2024 |
