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After a classical education, Ton Koopman, studied organ, harpsichord and musicology in Amsterdam, being awarded the Prix d'Excellence for both organ and harpsichord. Even before completing his studies he laid the foundations for a career as a conductor of 17th- and 18th-century music.
Ton Koopman's choice to use authentic instruments combined with a performing style based on sound scholarship, was a central theme from the start, though the quality of the performance was always paramount. His extensive activities as a soloist and conductor have been recorded on a large number of LP's and CD's for labels including Erato, Teldec, Philips and DGG.
Ton Koopman is an exclusive artist of the Time-Warner organization for which he is recording the complete cycle of the sacred and secular Cantatas of J.S. Bach as well as the integral of the works for organ. The organ recordings have been completed in July 1999. The cantatas will be completed in 2004. In September 1997 Ton Koopman was rewarded the Deutsche Schallplattenpreis "Echo Klassik 1997" for the Bach Cantatas.
Ton Koopman does not only conduct his own Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir; he is also chief conductor of the Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra with which he performs works from repertoire up to the middle of the 19th century. He also appears as guest conductor with many symphony orchestra's: in November 1999 he conducted the Vienna Symphony, January 2000 the MDR Sinfonieorchester Leipzig, in April 2000 the Danish National Radio Orchestra & Choir. In August 2000 he conducted at the Salzburg Festival, in November 2000 he was in Paris with the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris and in December 2000 in Zürich with the Tonhalle Orchestra.
In June 2000 Ton Koopman and The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra in cooperation with the Nationale Reisopera worked on a new stage production of W.A. Mozart's Magic Flute which will be performed in Rotterdam.
Ton Koopman publishes regularly, is professor of harpsichord at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague and is Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music in London. In July 2000 he will be president of the jury of the International J.S. Bach Organ Competition in Leipzig. |
