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The Dutch accordionist, Vincent van Amsterdam, started his accordion studies with his father, accordion player and teacher Evert van Amsterdam. During his studies, he was taught by many world renowned accordion players, including Stefan Hussong (Germany), Wjatscheslaw Semionow (Russia), Mika Väyrynen (Finland) and Friedrich Lips (Russia). In 2014, he completed his Master of Music degree cum laude at the Fontys Academy for Fine Arts Tilburg (The Nertherlands). He has won various international music competitions, including the Prinses Christina Concours (The Nertherlands, 2007), the National Accordion Competition (The Nertherlands, 2008 and 2009), and the Dutch Conservatoire Competition (The Nertherlands, 2014). He is winner of the Dutch Classical Talent Award 2016.
Vincent van Amsterdam is a big promotor of the classical accordion. He has performed in nearly all great concert halls and at most festivals in the Netherlands. Abroad, he has performed in Paris and Athens, and he has made successful solo tours in Italy and Indonesia. With the Van Amsterdam Duo, he went on a tour of Austria and performed in Serbia and China. He has also had the privilege of performing solo concerts with several (youth) orchestras.
Vincent van Amsterdam's repertoire is characterized by its broad scope, which reaches from Scarlatti, J.S. Bach and César Franck to Sofia Gubaidulina, Nordheim and Schmidt. Additionally, he has actively sought out contemporary Dutch composer. His work with them has culminiated in several world premieres of pieces by Aart Strootman, Bernard van Beurden and Daan Manneke. For the concerts of the Dutch Classical Talant Award 2016 Vincent specially asked, with help from a grant by the Performaing Arts Fund (The Nertherlands), Maxim Shalygin for a new piece for accordion.
Aside from performing as a soloist, Vincent van Amsterdam regularly performs with the Van Amsterdam Duo, which he forms with his sister, violinist Jeanine van Amsterdam. The Van Amsterdam Duo has performed for more than 10 years, and has won prizes at multiple festivals, including the Coupe Mondiale (HR. 2010) and the Akkordeonwettbewerb Wettbewerb in Klingenthal (Germany, 2012).
Vincent van Amsterdam has recorded several CD's. In 2012 he recorded "A Flight Beyond the Time" on which he preformed solo compositions and chamber music works with the Van Amsterdam Duo. His subsequent CD "Classical Accordion" (2014) consists completely of solo works by such diverse composers as Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, J.S. Bach, S. Gubaidulina and Tiensuu and in 2016 he releaserd a CD with the Van Amsterdam Duo, entitled "Chanson Russe". "Red, Dark and Blue"’ (2017) is his 4th CD which consist of the full programma of the DCT award 2016.
Over the years Vincent van Amsterdam has given multiple masterclasses too children and young profesionals. He is a teacher at the Hart Musicschool in Haarlem and from 2018 he is associated with the Fontys Academy of Fine Arts in Tilburg where he will teach the students in the Master education. |
