Artist(s)

Jan Willem de Vriend is the artistic director of Combattimento Consort Amsterdam and since 2006 the chief conductor and artistic director of the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra.

Combattimento Consort Amsterdam devotes itself to the music of about 1600 to 1830. Since its founding in 1982, it has performed virtually throughout the world as well as on many CDs, DVDs and television productions.

Since De Vriend was named chief conductor in 2006, the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra has become a notable phenomenon on the Netherlands’ musical scene. It has presented semi-scenic performances of works by Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss and Mendelssohn. There were premieres of works by Offenbach, Say and Mahler. And by substituting historical instruments in the brass section, it has developed its own distinctive sound in the 18th- and 19th-century repertoire. Recently, the orchestra performed music by Schumann at festivals in Spain. The release of Beethoven’s complete symphonies, conducted by De Vriend, is a big project which starts with the release of this current CD. Also the orchestra's long Mahler tradition is being continued in recordings and tours.

De Vriend has been a guest conductor with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, the Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic, the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, The Hague Philharmonic and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, as well as orchestras in Germany, Sweden and Australia. He is often invited to conduct both in the Netherlands and abroad. He has engagements pending, for example, with The Hague Philharmonic, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra as well as orchestras in China, Germany, Austria and Italy.

The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra with passion, commitment and virtuosity. The orchestra serves the province of Overijssel with concert series in Enschede, Hengelo, Zwolle and Deventer. Another important role for the orchestra is accompanying De Nationale Reisopera andprovincial choral societies. Working with top musicians from all over the world has contributed towards the orchestra achieving its aim of bringing concerts of the highest quality to a broad public. Important conductors for the orchestra were Ed Spanjaard, Rudolf Barshai, Martin Panteleev, Mark Shanahan, Vasili Petrenko and Otto Tausk. Jaap Van Zweden made an indelible impression during his period as chief conductor and set the orchestra well and truly on the map. He will return frequently as guest conductor. Many great international soloists have worked with the orchestra – Gidon Kremer, Natalia Gutman, Heinrich Schiff, Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Charlotte Margiono to name a few.

Violinist Liza Ferschtman is recognized as one of the most significant artists of her generation. Her performances are known for their passionate and at the same time intellectual qualities. In recent seasons Liza Ferschtman has performed with all the major Dutch orchestras, such as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam Sinfonietta and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Residentie Orchestra, Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra, as well as Orchestre National de Belgique, La Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias, the Prague Philharmonia, Liszt Chamber Orchestra, Noerkopping Symphony Orchestra, Slovenian Radio Orchestra, Schleswig Holstein Festival Orchester, Orquestra Nacional de Porto, Yomiuri Nippon Orchestra and the Israel Symphony Orchestra; she has worked with conductors such as Leonard Slatkin, Lev Markiz, Yakov Kreizberg, Lawrence Renes, Jaap van Zweden, Frans Brüggen, Ed Spanjaard, Thierry Fisher, Mendi Rodan, Christoph von Dohnányi, Tatsuya Shimono and Shlomo Mintz.

As a daughter of Russian musicians, she started playing the violin when she was 5 years old and received her first violin lessons from Philipp Hirschhorn. Attending master classes with Yvry Gitlis, Igor Oistrach and Aaron Rosand at a very young age, her extraordinary talent was discovered immediately. Until 1998 she studied with Herman Krebbers at the Conservatory of Amsterdam, after which she also worked with Ida Kavafian at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and David Takeno in London.

As Artistic Director of Holland’s most important chamber music festival, the Delft Chamber Music Festival, Liza Ferschtman is also a passionate chamber musician. She performs regularly in France, Belgium, Germany, UK, Russia, the US, Switzerland and Austria, and at festivals such as Ravinia festival in Chicago, West Cork Festival, Risor Festival and Prussia Cove in Cornwall. In April 2006 she made her New York recital debut with Inon Barnatan. The concert was received by such great critical acclaim that they were immediately re-invited two years later, the same season in which she made her Washington concert debut. Liza is a regular guest at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam: next to performing all Beethoven Sonatas she also had a carte-blanche at their Summer series. Future engagements include; performing all Beethoven Sonatas in Italy, recitals in her home country The Netherlands as well as abroad of which a.o. a tour with the Auryn Quartet and Inon Barnatan. Performances with orchestras include: Orchestre chamber d’Auvergne, the Radio Filharmonic Orchestra, Wiener Concertverein, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Sonderjyllands Symfonieorchestra, Combattimento Consort Amsterdam and a tour with the Orchestra of Padova e Veneto with Dmitri Sitkovetsky. She will appear at festivals such as her own Delft Chamber Music Festival, Brno Festival, Festival Saló, West Cork, Kempten Festival, Burghofspiele, Montreal Festival, Rolandseck Festival and many more.

Her debut solo CD, with works from a.o.,Debussy, Poulenc and Tchaikovsky was made with pianist Bas Verheijden. Her second CD, with pianist Inon Barnatan, and was released in 2007 by Challenge records. Early 2010 she released her Bach and Ysayë solo-CD which was received with great critical acclaim by Strad Magazine. In 2006 Liza Ferschtman received the Dutch Music Award 2006, which is the highest distinction awarded to musicians in the Netherlands.

Composer(s)

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