Amsterdam born winner of the 2013 Prix d' Amis of The Netherlands Opera for his portrayal of Papageno in Simon McBurney's production of Die Zauberflöte, Thomas Oliemans made his professional opera debut aged 24 as the Father in Hans Werner Henze’s Pollicino with the Nationale Reisopera of the Netherlands where he also sang Minos in Händel’s Arianna in Creta and Ned Keene in Britten’s Peter Grimes.

In 2005 he made his debut at the Salzburg Festival as Gonsalvo Fieschi in Schreker's Die Gezeichneten. Further important debuts followed in 2006 as Papageno in Mozart´s Die Zauberflöte at the Opéra de Nantes/Angers to great public and critical acclaim, and at the Grand Théâtre de Genève as Guglielmo in Cosi fan tutte.

His most recent operatic engagements have included his debut at Teatro Real in Madrid with Ivor Bolton and Krysztof Warlikowski (Hercule in Gluck’s Alceste) Donner in Das Rheingold under the baton of Ingo Metzmacher at the Grand Théâtre de Genève, reprisal of his Papageno in Die Zauberflöte at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence and Amsterdam. Conte in Le Nozze di Figaro in Gothenburg, Ramiro in L'Heure Espagnole in concert conducted by Charles Dutoit. He appeared as Lescaut in Massenet’s Manon at the Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse partnering Natalie Dessay, had his debut at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden singing Schaunard alongside Joseph Calleja, Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu in La Bohème conducted by Semyon Bychkov, Papageno in a new production of Die Zauberflöte staged by esteemed director Simon McBurney and Fritz Kothner in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg conducted by Marc Albrecht at De Nederlandse Opera in Amsterdam, Marcello in La Bohème and Gunther inGötterdämmerung at the Nationale Reisopera, Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus and Marcello in La Bohème at the Opéra National du Rhin in Strasbourg, Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro and Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia for the Scottish Opera, Hercule in Gluck’s Alceste at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte at the Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse. His strong ties to The Netherlands Opera have resulted in parts in Don Carlo, Un Ballo in maschera, Die Zauberflöte, Meistersinger and Rameau’sCastor et Pollux. He also sang leading roles in three world-premiere productions of contemporary Dutch operas by Wagemans (Legende), Zuidam (Adam in Ballingschap) and Martijn Padding (Laika).

The Israeli soprano Gal James is rapidly gaining recognition as a one of the most important voices of her generation. After completing the transition to the soprano ‘fach’ in 2005 she joined the opera studio of the Staatsoper Berlin. Most recent appearances include her debut in the title role in a new production of Jenufa staged by Peter Konwitschny at Oper Graz and a new production of La Juive (Rachel) also staged by Konwitschny at the Vlaamse Opera. Other Past engagements include Arabella at the Thearter St. Gallen Elsa in Lohengrin, Marietta in Die tote Stadt, Desdemona in Otello, Chrysothemis in Elektra, Liú in Turandont, the title role in Manon Lescaut, Eva in Die Meistersinger von Nūrnberg, the title role in Rusalka, Contessa in Le Nozze di Figaro, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Marguerite in Faust, Michaela in Carmen all at the Oper Graz she sang and recorded Mimi in La Bohème at the Opera of Valencia under the baton of Riccardo Chailly, the title role in Rusalka at the Semperoper in Dresden, Mimi in La Bohème at Festival de Verano in San Lorenzo de El Escorial and the Quinceno Musical Festival in San Sebastián. In the season 2015-2016 she will return to the Vlaamse Opera to sing Mimi in La Bohème. On the concert platform she sang Rossini’s Petite messe solennelle at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam with Hervé Niquet conducting and a selection of Strauss Songs with the Grazer Philharmonisches Orchester at the Wiener Musikverein. The Vier Letzte Lieder of Richard Strauss she sang with several orchestras include the Oslo Philharmonic, the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and the Bochumer Symphoniker under the baton of Steven Slaone; She also had the honor to sing Shostakovich’s Fourteenth Symphony with the Sinfonieorchester St Gallen, the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, and recorded the same with the Liverpool Symphony Orchestra. James sang Mendelssohn’s Elias with the Berliner Philharmoniker, Mendelssohn’s Psalm 42 with the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Bernstein’s Jeremiah Symphony and Beethoven 9th Symphony with the Bochumer Symphoniker, Mahler’s Second Symphony with the Dohnányi Orchestra Budafok in Budapest and Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle with the Israel Symphony Orchestra. Gal James performed with the Israeli Chamber Orchestra, with the Israeli Philharmonic Singer’s Chorus, in the Heine Festival at the Jerusalem Music Center and at the Abu-Gosh Festivals near Jerusalem, the Augusta Symphony Orchestra in Augusta Georgia and the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. Gal James already had the pleasure to work with renowned conductors such as Daniel Barenboim, Seiji Ozawa, Riccardo Chailly, Neeme Järvi, Steven Sloane, Julien Salemkour, Michael Boder, Vasily Petrenko, Johannes Fritzsch, Ion Marin, Dan Ettinger and Jukka-Pekka Saraste Hervé Niquet. Gal James won several competitions. In July 2006 she won the third prize at the Belvedere Competition in Vienna. She won the first prize in the Aviv Vocal competition in Tel Aviv on December 2005. Other prizes include the first prize in the Voice Competition at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music at Tel-Aviv University in 2002 and “The Best Performance of the Israeli Art Song” prize at the Aviv (Spring) competition in Tel Aviv in 2003 and 2005. She studied at the High School at the Rubin Academy in Jerusalem, graduated as a cello player. In 2003 she finalized her studies at the voice department at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music in Tel Aviv coached by Prof. Mira Zakai. She continued further studies with Patricia McCaffrey.

The Netherlands Chamber Orchestra was formed in 1955, since when it has proved itself an exceptional ensemble with a long history of notable achievements. Although it merged with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra in 1985, the orchestra has never lost its own identity. In fact, the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra has consistently surprised its symphonic ‘big brother’. Particularly notable is the dynamic between the members of the orchestra, which rarely performs under a conductor. The musicians have complete confidence in each other and their chemistry is obvious to all. “It’s a state of mind in which everything comes together. You can rise above yourself. Everyone goes to a own special place where we all meet each other. Call it a common feeling, a certain mythology, a scent, poetry, whatever. The Netherlands Chamber Orchestra can do that,” states concertmaster Gordan Nikolitch with verve. Gordan Nikolitch was appointed concertmaster in 2004. Through his passion and commitment, the Serbian-born violinist has spurred the orchestra to ever greater artistic heights. Nikolitch is aware that he is the custodian of a rich artistic heritage. The Netherlands Chamber Orchestra rose to international fame under violinist and conductor Szymon Goldberg, who founded the ensemble in 1955 and continued in the role of concertmaster until 1979. Goldberg took the orchestra on several international tours. On one occasion, the music critic of the New York Times wrote, “If ever a concert merited the epithet ‘perfect’, it was the one given by Szymon Goldberg and his Netherlands Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall.” The Netherlands Chamber Orchestra gives dozens of concerts every year. It can regularly be heard in Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw and the Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, as well as other major concert halls throughout the Netherlands and beyond. The orchestra also plays in venues that are not so readily associated with classical music, such as Amsterdam’s Paradiso where an enthusiastic capacity audience enjoyed a programme of works by Stravinsky and Ravel. Like the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra often takes part in productions of the Dutch National Opera.

Zeven was Gordan Nikolić (1968, Servië) toen hij begon met vioolspelen. Twee jaar later al stuurden zijn ouders het talent naar een internaat voor vioolles. Vijf dagen per week. "Het was streng maar wij hadden dit ene geweldige ding: muziek. Het is als opgroeien in een kerk voor wie in God gelooft. Daar ligt de oorsprong van mijn intimiteit met de muziek." Nikolić vervolgde zijn studie bij de bekende Franse violist en dirigent Jean-Jacques Kantorow aan de Musikhochschule van Basel. Hij verdiepte zich in barokmuziek, maar werkte ook samen met Lutoslawski en Kurtág, omdat ook de hedendaagse muziek hem fascineert.

 Zijn eerste aanstelling als concertmeester kreeg de nog jonge violist in 1989. Nikolić' carrière raakte vanaf dat moment in een stroomversnelling, ook als solist. Hij werkte met tal van orkesten in Europa en kon prijs na prijs op zijn schoorsteenmantel zetten. In 1997 werd hij benoemd tot concertmeester van het London Symphony Orchestra, waar hij een bijzondere band ontwikkelde met Sir Colin Davis. Van deze maestro leerde hij hoe belangrijk het is om een eigen muzikale visie te bewaren. Om je niet te onderwerpen aan andermans autoriteit. "Als wij ooit eindigen door te praten op dezelfde manier, dan hebben wij verloren. Dus jij zegt wat je moet zeggen, ik zeg wat ik heb te zeggen, en dan komt er een brug", vertelt Davis hem. Woorden die hij nooit meer vergeet.



 In 2000 wordt Gordan Nikolić benoemd tot professor aan het Royal College of Music en drie jaar later ook aan de Guildhall School of Music. Als hij in 2004 naar het Nederlands Kamerorkest komt, gaat hij bovendien doceren aan het Rotterdams Conservatorium. De musici zijn er geweldig gelukkig mee hoe deze topviolist het kamerorkest op zijn unieke wijze leidt vanaf de eerste lessenaar. Tijdens concerten neemt hij met zijn begeesterende beweeglijkheid niet alleen de orkestleden mee, maar de hele zaal. Nikolić speelt op een Lorenzo Storioni viool uit 1794.