December 08th 2009
Interview and video of Rudolf Koelman
Rudolf Koelman just turned 50 years old in October 2009. He was once one of those lucky young students who could study with the legendary violinist Jascha Heifetz in the years 1978 until 1981 in Soutern California/ Los Angeles in the USA. Before these lessons with Heifetz, Rudolf Koelman had a enormously rich violin-education with the Dutch violinist Herman Krebbers. Krebbers made sure that Koelman studied all the main and important pieces in the violin repertoire. You had to have a broad fundament to begin with and deepen yourself from there. Because of his valuable lessons, Rudolf Koelman, as a young violinstudent, knew his repertoire and this was probably one of the reasons that he, when he did audition to join the violinlessons of Heifetz, was chosen to do so and could study for three years with the great violinist!
We meet Rudolf Koelman in the Bimhuis in Amsterdam, where the recording of the weekly music programme Vrije Geluiden is being made. After a beautiful performance and an interview with presentor Hans Flupsen, we have the rare opportunity to speak with Rudolf Koelman. A burning question is what his experiences with the great Jascha Heifetz and Herman Krebbers where. What is the difference between these two men?
When he talks about his experiences with Heifetz and Krebbers, Rudolf Koelman becomes passionate. He has got so many good memories and these teachings have formed him in such a way that talking about the past still touches him very much today.
When he studied with Krebbers, he studied hard and when he came to Heifetz, Krebbers had in his lessons made sure he knew his repertoire because he made him practice 50 violinconcertos, 30 Sonatas and a lot more virtuoso and less vrituoso pieces.
Jascha Heifetz could express a whole story with only playing three notes. This he did for instance in the Second Violinconcerto in D Minor Op. 44 of Max Bruch. Heifetz said to Koelman ‘What do you see when you play this?’ That should be the question when one plays. He asked him to envisage a big steamship that departs from the shore and you have to leave your distressed beloved behind. 'Imagine, You will never see that pretty face in your life again', he said to Koelman. After that he played him these notes and Rudolf Koelman's emotions where immediately aroused as he envisioned that pretty face he would never see again...
This made an enormous impression. The telling of the story behind the notes and the way of making the violin sing (both Heifetz’s traits) and the knowledge of violin repertoire, the strong foundation of that and the deepening from there (Krebbers’ traits) all are important ingredients in his own playing, now, many years later. Rudolf Koelman uses all these characteristics also in his own teachings and he is very happy that he can hand on in that way these important violintraditions which otherwise would be lost. Teaching is, maybe also because of that, a very important thing in his career. As is his playing. When Koelman plays, you feel that every note has meaning. It not only gives you an image, a colour or an intuition, but also an immediate feeling. He can touch and dazzle at the same time. He does not play bravoura-tricks; he is a serious, passionate violinist who is now, like his own teachers, an important teacher for the younger generation.
For anyone who is interested in hearing the essence of Heifetz: Rudolf Koelman tells us about a piece that has everything of Heifetz' playing (love, hope, hapiness) in it and that is his performance of Giant Hills of Cecile Burleigh. It is only 1.20 minutes but Heifetz's playing is astounding and can be compared with nothing.
Valentine Laout-van Leeuwenstein
For more information about one of the best violinists of The Netherlands, GO the website of Rudolf Koelman
Koelman's appearance on national television at Vrije Geluiden will be on Youtube on our Challenge channel soon.
Check out the performance at the Spiegelzaal of the AVRO with our videos
Photos of Rudolf Koelman in Vrije Geluiden, made by Sanne Schouwink.
Interview and video of Rudolf Koelman
Rudolf Koelman just turned 50 years old in October 2009. He was once one of those lucky young students who could study with the legendary violinist Jascha Heifetz in the years 1978 until 1981 in Soutern California/ Los Angeles in the USA. Before these lessons with Heifetz, Rudolf Koelman had a enormously rich violin-education with the Dutch violinist Herman Krebbers. Krebbers made sure that Koelman studied all the main and important pieces in the violin repertoire. You had to have a broad fundament to begin with and deepen yourself from there. Because of his valuable lessons, Rudolf Koelman, as a young violinstudent, knew his repertoire and this was probably one of the reasons that he, when he did audition to join the violinlessons of Heifetz, was chosen to do so and could study for three years with the great violinist! We meet Rudolf Koelman in the Bimhuis in Amsterdam, where the recording of the weekly music programme Vrije Geluiden is being made. After a beautiful performance and an interview with presentor Hans Flupsen, we have the rare opportunity to speak with Rudolf Koelman. A burning question is what his experiences with the great Jascha Heifetz and Herman Krebbers where. What is the difference between these two men?
When he talks about his experiences with Heifetz and Krebbers, Rudolf Koelman becomes passionate. He has got so many good memories and these teachings have formed him in such a way that talking about the past still touches him very much today.
When he studied with Krebbers, he studied hard and when he came to Heifetz, Krebbers had in his lessons made sure he knew his repertoire because he made him practice 50 violinconcertos, 30 Sonatas and a lot more virtuoso and less vrituoso pieces.
Jascha Heifetz could express a whole story with only playing three notes. This he did for instance in the Second Violinconcerto in D Minor Op. 44 of Max Bruch. Heifetz said to Koelman ‘What do you see when you play this?’ That should be the question when one plays. He asked him to envisage a big steamship that departs from the shore and you have to leave your distressed beloved behind. 'Imagine, You will never see that pretty face in your life again', he said to Koelman. After that he played him these notes and Rudolf Koelman's emotions where immediately aroused as he envisioned that pretty face he would never see again...
This made an enormous impression. The telling of the story behind the notes and the way of making the violin sing (both Heifetz’s traits) and the knowledge of violin repertoire, the strong foundation of that and the deepening from there (Krebbers’ traits) all are important ingredients in his own playing, now, many years later. Rudolf Koelman uses all these characteristics also in his own teachings and he is very happy that he can hand on in that way these important violintraditions which otherwise would be lost. Teaching is, maybe also because of that, a very important thing in his career. As is his playing. When Koelman plays, you feel that every note has meaning. It not only gives you an image, a colour or an intuition, but also an immediate feeling. He can touch and dazzle at the same time. He does not play bravoura-tricks; he is a serious, passionate violinist who is now, like his own teachers, an important teacher for the younger generation.
For anyone who is interested in hearing the essence of Heifetz: Rudolf Koelman tells us about a piece that has everything of Heifetz' playing (love, hope, hapiness) in it and that is his performance of Giant Hills of Cecile Burleigh. It is only 1.20 minutes but Heifetz's playing is astounding and can be compared with nothing.
Valentine Laout-van Leeuwenstein
For more information about one of the best violinists of The Netherlands, GO the website of Rudolf Koelman
Koelman's appearance on national television at Vrije Geluiden will be on Youtube on our Challenge channel soon.
Check out the performance at the Spiegelzaal of the AVRO with our videos
Photos of Rudolf Koelman in Vrije Geluiden, made by Sanne Schouwink.
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Violin Concertos 1 & 2The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra & Rudolf Koelman / Paganini / Rossini Artists
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Tourdates
| 22-05: | Jan Willem de Vriend | |
| concert Rosamunde Schwetzingen | ||
| 24-05: | Jan Willem de Vriend | |
Opera Rosamunde Schwetzigen |
||
| 25-05: | Jan Willem de Vriend | |
| Opera Rosamunde Schwetzingen | ||
| 01-06: | Jan Willem de Vriend | |
| NedSo: Beethoven Mendelssohn / Enschede | ||
| 02-06: | Jan Willem de Vriend | |
| NedSo: Beethoven Mendelssohn/Rotterdam | ||
| 03-06: | Jan Willem de Vriend | |
| NedSo: Beethoven Mendelssohn / Deventer | ||
| 16-11: | Jan Willem de Vriend | Amsterdam |
| Muziekgebouw aan het IJ | ||
| 19-12: | Jan Willem de Vriend | |
| Grote Zaal - Muziekgebouw a/h Ij, Amsterdam | ||
| 23-12: | Jan Willem de Vriend | |
| Grote Zaal - Muziekgebouw a/h Ij, Amsterdam | ||
