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The Dutch choral conductor, Gilles Michels, studied at Nijmeegse Scholengemeenschap in Nijmegen. He studied Music Education at the Sweelinck Conservatory of Amsterdam (1982-1987) and Choir Direction at the Rotterdam Conservatory of Music (1989-1992), where he graduated in 1992.
For several years Gilles Michels worked as a music teacher at the Geert-Groote school in Amsterdam and directed various choirs in Haarlem, Amsterdam, Purmerend, Leiden (Leids Studenten Koor en Orkest Collegium Musicum: since August 1993) and Alphen aan den Rijn. He subsequently became the main conductor of the Rotterdam Boys Choir and was appointed to the National Children's Choir. He was appointed Artistic Director and conductor at St. Bavo Choir School in Haarlem (Boys' Choir of St Bavo’s Cathedral, Haarlem) (August 1997-July 2014).
In 1996, Gilles Michels became the main conductor of the Leiden Student Music Society 'Collegium Musicum,' as wel as the Utrecht Student Choir and Orchestra (Utrechts Studenten Koor en Orkest) in April 2008. Besides conducting these student choirs, he took up the direction and conducting of two major Bach projects in Delft (CHOIR: since January 2007) and Groningen in 2006 and 2008 and became the main conductor of the Baroque Society The Hague (Haags Barok Gezelschap) in October 2008.
Between 1996 and 2009, Gilles Michels led the Kurt Thomas course for choral conducting in Utrecht and became chairman of the biennial Dutch National Choir Festival, which presents the 'Choir of the Year' title to high level amateur choirs. He currently lives in Landsmeer, the Netherlands. |
