Koenraad Spijker
pianist | teacher | producer
Pianist Koenraad Spijker has been playing since he was six years old. While classical music has always been a passion throughout his life, he also explores world music, jazz, improv, film scoring and electronic music. From a young age, he studied jazz rhythm and drums alongside piano. Mainly a soloist, he also enjoys working as a collaborative pianist in the Lied genre and is an enthusiastic chamber music player. In 2017, he established the Spijkerklassiek chamber music series in Amsterdam. To this end, he is working to create the Spijkerklassiek Foundation, which will focus on new insights in the intersection of theatre (drama) and classical music in the Netherlands. Spijker performs in world music and improvisation festivals as well as an orchestral pianist and repetitor. He is currently preparing for further study in the field of film and game scoring. His biggest music love is that of the work of Scriabin, a composer he feels “carries it all”.
TERUGBLIK @ EEN INTERVIEW MET DE NRC CULTUURGIDS
Pianist Koenraad Spijker (27) speelt op het eerste pianofestival in Naarden, tussen onder anderen Alfred Brendel en Kristian Bezuidenhout.
„Dat klassieke muziek vaak wordt afgedaan als ‘elitair’ snap ik wel. Concerten die draaien om een perfecte uitvoering van noten die al eeuwen zwart op wit staan – dat is prachtig, maar net zoiets als de collectieve adoratie van een onvruchtbare, uitstervende paradijsvogel. Ik wil open zijn. Met het publiek praten over muziek, componisten presenteren als mensen in plaats van goden. Ondoordringbaar maakt onbemind.”
Festivals & Concerts (selection)
2023 | Kunst in de Kamer (Amsterdam)
2023 | International Lied Festival Zeist as part of lied duo with mezzo-soprano Anna Trombetta
2023 | Leeds International Lied Festival as part of lied duo with mezzo-soprano Anna Trombetta
2022 | Kamermuziek Festival Uitgast (Lelystad)
2021 | De Muze van Zuid Festival (Amsterdam)
2019 | Stift Musical Encounters | Coach: Nino Gvetadze & Daniel Rowland
2019 | Naarden Piano Festival (Naarden-Vesting) | Coach: Nino Gvetadze, Hannes Minnaar, Alfred Brendel
2018 | International Chamber Music Festival Akoestik | Coach: Jean Bernard Pommier
Awards
2017 | Great Teachers Festival & Merzhanov International Piano Competition (Bulgaria)
3rd place - Victor Merzhanow International Piano Competition
Special Award Prize - Best Performance of a work by Scriabin (10th Sonata)
2016 | Le Giornate del Cinema Muto (Venice)
One of two European students selected for a 10-day journey around the art of film composition by means of improvisation
Education
2019 | Conservatory of Sofia, Bulgaria
Specialization in the music of Scriabin and Schubert with Professor Atanas Kurt
2014-2017 | Utrecht Conservatory (NED)
MM Cum laude (9.6) with Professor Klára Würtz
Specialization in Scriabin - first student with full Scriabin program
2009-2013 | Utrecht Conservatory (NED)
BM Summa cum laude (10) with Professor Klára Würtz
Special Skills
2021 - Present | Latin jazz piano studies with Ramon Valle
2021 | Kurt Thomas Course diploma in choir conducting (Utrecht Conservatory)
2017 | MM thesis “Harmonic Morphology in Scriabin Piano Sonatas” (Utrecht Conservatory)