He also released his first CD, Chant du Saxophone Tenor. Niels is one of the best tenor players I know so this CD should be a treat for the lovers of the mellow tenor saxophone.
dinsdag 28 augustus 2007
My good friend Niels Bijl just opened his website: www
My good friend Niels Bijl just opened his website: www.nielsbijl.nl
He also released his first CD, Chant du Saxophone Tenor. Niels is one of the best tenor players I know so this CD should be a treat for the lovers of the mellow tenor saxophone.
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He also released his first CD, Chant du Saxophone Tenor. Niels is one of the best tenor players I know so this CD should be a treat for the lovers of the mellow tenor saxophone.
zondag 26 augustus 2007
Yesterday Wijnand and me played two concerts on one day: de Amsterdam ...
Yesterday Wijnand and me played two concerts on one day: de Amsterdam Uitmarkt and the birthday concert for Willem Brons in the Bachzaal, Amsterdam as well.
Both concerts were a lot of fun. And like I said in my last blog, the Bach is magical. I feel good about that music as well, I love to play it. The music has a flow with which you have to go, it is like it connects to the deepest part of your soul... Beautiful!
I spend today making the edit lists for two new CD's by Wijnand and me and the quartet. I am especially enthusiastic about the Mendelssohn Sonata with Wijnand. You can really hear the work we put into it. It has some fantastic moments if I might say so myself![src=]()
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I feel good about the year that is about to come. I feel comfortable with my set up, I have some great gigs coming up and I have a great mentor for the Netherlands Music Prize who is showing me some great things to work with. And of course Wijnand and me have some great repertoire planned like the sonatas for violin and harpsichord (of course in my case for soprano sax and piano).
This week I am still more or less free. Today I spend editing CD's (tonight actually in the studio with the engineer) and this week is for studying, relaxing, sports, friends...
Both concerts were a lot of fun. And like I said in my last blog, the Bach is magical. I feel good about that music as well, I love to play it. The music has a flow with which you have to go, it is like it connects to the deepest part of your soul... Beautiful!
I spend today making the edit lists for two new CD's by Wijnand and me and the quartet. I am especially enthusiastic about the Mendelssohn Sonata with Wijnand. You can really hear the work we put into it. It has some fantastic moments if I might say so myself
I feel good about the year that is about to come. I feel comfortable with my set up, I have some great gigs coming up and I have a great mentor for the Netherlands Music Prize who is showing me some great things to work with. And of course Wijnand and me have some great repertoire planned like the sonatas for violin and harpsichord (of course in my case for soprano sax and piano).
This week I am still more or less free. Today I spend editing CD's (tonight actually in the studio with the engineer) and this week is for studying, relaxing, sports, friends...
vrijdag 24 augustus 2007
Yesterday and today rehearsals with Wijnand for the Uitmarkt
Yesterday and today rehearsals with Wijnand for the Uitmarkt. Yesterday we listened to the first edit of the Mendelssohn Sonata and we like it very much, the sound is great and it is very musical. We were very happy. Also we had a spiritual experience yesterday playing Wijnand's Bach arrangement of three Symphonias (with intermezzos by himself). What a beautiful music. Although it is dodgy to recommend my own CD, I think that you should have this one, at least for the Bach, it is enchanting, magic!
woensdag 22 augustus 2007
maandag 20 augustus 2007
zaterdag 18 augustus 2007
Yesterday I played with Wilmar and Liza together with Thomas Hampson i...
Yesterday I played with Wilmar and Liza together with Thomas Hampson in the Prinsengrachtconcert. That was quite an experience. Hampson was very nice and a great stage personality. I also loved to play with Liza and Wilmar. They're great musicians and it was a privelege to work with them. The concert was broadcast for Dutch national television, the AVRO.
Tomorrow I will have another session with Anner Bijlsma. I will do the Bach Flute Partitia, which I might perform this week in stead of works by ter Veldhuis. Although I know the Bach might not be as effective as the Ter Veldhuis I have the feeling I can do this.
donderdag 16 augustus 2007
Long time no write
Long time no write.
Some people have started complaining, so this one is for them.
Wednesday I won the Grachtenfestival Award: A concert in St Petersburg in the Hermitage with Wijnand. A great prize, that will take place in 2009.
Saturday I will play with Thomas Hampson in the Prinsengrachtconcert. This afternoon we have rehearsal. We are playing Cole Porter songs with an ensemble put together by Wijnand: Liza Ferschtman, Wilmar de Visser and me. Wijnand made the arrangements which are great. The players are amazing!
Exciting times again!
I hope that I can be a bit quieter this year. I will start teaching just one day so I will have time to practice one day more, that will give me some rest.
Also I will get more into the Nederlandse Muziekprijs. I will do bach, Hindemith and Schmitt with Anner Bijlsma. The flute Partita by Bach is particulary challenging because the first movement does not really allow space for breathing. And I don't want to do circular breathing, because I think this music needs to breath, so I will have to find a musical reason.
I have wanted to play Schmitt for a long time and now the time is right. Although we first have to prepare for the CD recording in October: Martin Fondse's piece is finished and had become great! An 8 movement Suite for sax and piano and of course Wijnand's arrangement of and comment on three Bach Symphonias.
Enough to look forward to this year!
Wijnand send me this link, check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR9ZM6rI7DY
Some people have started complaining, so this one is for them.
Wednesday I won the Grachtenfestival Award: A concert in St Petersburg in the Hermitage with Wijnand. A great prize, that will take place in 2009.
Saturday I will play with Thomas Hampson in the Prinsengrachtconcert. This afternoon we have rehearsal. We are playing Cole Porter songs with an ensemble put together by Wijnand: Liza Ferschtman, Wilmar de Visser and me. Wijnand made the arrangements which are great. The players are amazing!
Exciting times again!
I hope that I can be a bit quieter this year. I will start teaching just one day so I will have time to practice one day more, that will give me some rest.
Also I will get more into the Nederlandse Muziekprijs. I will do bach, Hindemith and Schmitt with Anner Bijlsma. The flute Partita by Bach is particulary challenging because the first movement does not really allow space for breathing. And I don't want to do circular breathing, because I think this music needs to breath, so I will have to find a musical reason.
I have wanted to play Schmitt for a long time and now the time is right. Although we first have to prepare for the CD recording in October: Martin Fondse's piece is finished and had become great! An 8 movement Suite for sax and piano and of course Wijnand's arrangement of and comment on three Bach Symphonias.
Enough to look forward to this year!
Wijnand send me this link, check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR9ZM6rI7DY
Ties Mellema wins first Grachtenfestivalprijs (Canal Festival Prize).
This prize was awarded for the first time in the Passenger Terminal in Amsterdam. The award is meant for musicians who have played an important role in the festival in the past years.
Mellema was selected by audience votes from 20 nominees. He wins a concert in the concertseries by the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.
This Saturday (18 August) Mellema will play with Thomas Hampson during the Prinsengrachtconcert in Amsterdam on the ponton in front of Hotel Pulitzer.
Dutch version
This prize was awarded for the first time in the Passenger Terminal in Amsterdam. The award is meant for musicians who have played an important role in the festival in the past years.
Mellema was selected by audience votes from 20 nominees. He wins a concert in the concertseries by the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.
This Saturday (18 August) Mellema will play with Thomas Hampson during the Prinsengrachtconcert in Amsterdam on the ponton in front of Hotel Pulitzer.
Dutch version
woensdag 8 augustus 2007
Back from NY with the quartet
Back from NY with the quartet. Unforgettable moment, after playing the Adagio by Barber as an encore in Willamstown Massachusets an older lady came up to me with tears in her eyes thanking me for playing it in that concert. American audience is great to play for, I have the feeling I can reach them, emotionally.
I found this great video on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oxTy7KIAaA
I found this great video on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oxTy7KIAaA
woensdag 1 augustus 2007
Routine has started this week
Routine has started this week. Although it will be finished soon, Saturday I will leave to NY for concerts. Every morning quartet rehearsal. Great fun again! Especially to play pieces like Bach and Glazounow. I enjoy it so much after burying myself in the Ter Veldhuis which is great as well, but completely different!
I am working a bit ont he Bach FLute Partita now. To play for Anner Bylsma in the end of August. A problematic work because it is not originally for wind instruments. But it's a great challenge, although it is not Bach's greatest work...
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