Nico van der Meel (Tenor)

Born: 1956 - The Hague, the Netherlands

The Dutch tenor, Nico van der Meel, had been a student in mathematics at the Leiden University, before he decided to become a professional musician. He initially studied choral conducting at the Rotterdam Conservatory, but from 1982 he studied singing with professor Margreet Honig. He concluded his studies cum laude in 1987, after which he took part in master-classes with Evelyn Lear, Ruud van der Meer, Robert Holl, Elly Ameling and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf amongst others.

In the past few years Nico van der Meel has been invited as a teacher to several summercourses, like the "La Caixa" Curso Internacional de Música. He made an early debut with the Concertgebouw Orchestra during the 1987-1988 season and that same season also sang the tenor arias in a recording of J.S. Bach's St. John Passion (BWV 245) conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken. In the years 1989 to 1996 he took part in concert tours and recordings of J.S. Bach's Mass in B minor and, as Evangelist, in J.S. Bach's St. John Passion (BWV 245) and St.Matthew Passion (BWV 245) by the Orchestra of the 18^th Century conducted by Frans Brüggen. Although he became internationally known for his performances of the role of Evangelist in J.S. Bach's Passions, he has a broad concert repertoire, including music from the 16^th to the 20^th century. He performed with conducters such as Nikolaus Harnoncourt, John Elliot Gardiner, Gustav Leonhardt, Peter Schreier, Jan Willem de Vriend, Helmuth Rilling, Michel Corboz and Sir Colin Davis.

On his recitals Nico van der Meel works in close connection to pianist Dido Keuning. Recitals brought him to the most important chamber music halls in Holland, but also to major European cities like Paris and Barcelona. The songs of Hugo Wolf form in integral part of his programs. His recordings of lieder include early songs by Hugo Wolf and music by the Dutch composers Johannes Verhulst and Leander Schlegel.

Nico van der Meel has performed a number of operatic roles, including Alfred in Fledermaus by Johann Strauss, Sellem in Igor Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress, Pedrillo in Mozart's Entführung aus dem Serail conducted by Christopher Hogwood, Don Ottavio in Mozart's Don Giovanni directed by Arnold Östman (recorded by Decca L'Oiseau Lyre) and Camacho in Felix Mendelssohn's Die Hochzeit des Camacho with Anima Eterna led by Jos van Immerseel (recorded by Channel Classics).

Nico van der Meel is a member of the group Camerata Trajectina, that specialises in music from the Low Countries from the middle ages until the 17^th century. Central to the work of the group are literary and cultural history which are given a musical dimension in projects around poets, the Eighty-Year War and religious conflicts.

Furthermore Nico van der Meel conducts the William Byrd Vocal Ensemble, a choir founded in 1981 that specialises in a cappella music from the 16^th to the 20^th century. Among his pupils: Bart van Lieshout (Tenor).

Sources:
Nico van der Meel Website
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (May 2001)

Nico van der Meel: Short Biography | Bach Discography: Recordings of Vocal Works

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Frans Brüggen

Tenor

BWV 232 [1^st], BWV 244, BWV 245 [1^st - Evangelist]

Diego Fasolis

Tenor

[V-4] (1998): BWV 245 [Evangelist]

Gerd Guglöhr

Tenor

[V-1] (1994): BWV 245 [Evangelist]

Sigiswald Kuijken

Tenor

BWV 245 [1^st]

Pieter Jan Leusink

Tenor

BWV 4, BWV 5, BWV 6, BWV 7, BWV 9, BWV 16, BWV 19, BWV 22, BWV 23, BWV 26, BWV 28, BWV 30, BWV 31, BWV 43, BWV 62, BWV 63, BWV 65, BWV 66, BWV 69, BWV 70, BWV 73, BWV 74, BWV 77, BWV 78, BWV 85, BWV 87, BWV 91, BWV 94, BWV 96, BWV 100, BWV 101, BWV 102, BWV 105, BWV 107, BWV 109, BWV 111, BWV 112, BWV 115, BWV 120, BWV 125, BWV 127, BWV 128, BWV 131, BWV 136, BWV 139, BWV 140, BWV 143, BWV 145, BWV 148, BWV 151, BWV 156, BWV 157, BWV 162, BWV 163, BWV 165, BWV 166, BWV 167, BWV 172, BWV 174, BWV 181, BWV 188, BWV 194, BWV 196

Helmut Müller-Brühl

Tenor

BWV 244

Peter Neumann

Tenor

BWV 248

Erik Van Nevel

Tenor

[V-3] (2016): BWV 244 [Evangelist]

Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden

Tenor

BWV 232

Klaas Stok

Tenor

[V-4] (2014, Video): BWV 244 [Evangelist]

Links to other Sites

Nico van der Meel Website
Nico Van Der Meel, Biography, Discography (Goldberg)
The Memory of the Netherlands: Nico van der Meel