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The Dutch conductor and organist, Tymen Jan Bronda, had his first organ lessons when he was seven years old. After a few years' study with Piet Wiersma he entered the Groningen Conservatory, where his professors were Johan Beeftink en Theo Jellema. In 2009, after further studies with Reitze Smits, he graduated as Master of Music at the Arts Academy in Utrecht.
In 2011 Tymen Jan Bronda celebrated his tenth anniversary as director of music in the Lutheran Church in Groningen. He initiated an interesting new series of concerts in the Lutheran Church that has run for ten years now. In his hometown, his monthly performances of (J.S. Bach) cantatas, on the second Sunday of the month, was widely acclaimed. Bronda also teaches church music courses in the north of the country, under the aegis of the United Protestant Church. In 2006 he founded the Luthers Bach Ensemble, which focuses on Baroque music performances. With the ensemble he performed several Bach cantatas, and also the so-called Lutheran masses. Bronda does one-off projects with a number of choirs, and is chief conductor of the chamber choir Tirana.
At present Tymen Jan Bronda is involved in a major project: the reconstruction of the organ Arp Schnitger built for the Lutheran Church (1699-1717). It is hoped that the organ will be finished in 2017, 400 years after the start of Martin Luther's Reformation. Its presence may also add to the reputation of the city of Groningen as a leading baroque music centre. It will then be possible to have the organ figure as the continuo instrument in cantata performances, a practice modern research seems to recommend. |
