The Dutch low bass, Hans Pootjes, studied English and German before taking up singing lessons with Wim van Sante, a former opera-bass.
Next to his 28 year commitment with the Nederlands Kamerkoor, Hans Pootjes has been, and still is, a soloist in the major works of J.S. Bach, George Frideric Handel, Felix Mendelssohn, etc. He has worked as a soloist with a.o. the following conductors: Michael Mautner, Peter Rundel, Werner Herbers, Daniel Reuss and Stephen Layton. He also worked with Teatro Punto run by Katrien van Beurden and Carlos Garcia Estevez and with the Schatkameropera Zwolle in a Schubert Pastiche.
Opera, however, has a special place in Hans Pootjes' heart and he performed roles like Osmin in die Entführung aus dem Serail, Sarastro in die Zauberflöte and Colas in Bastien und Bastienne, all opera's composed by W.A. Mozart. Also modern opera fits in as he recently performed in Mautner's La Divina Comedia in the Mozarteum in Salzburg. Recently he had a leading bass part ïn Boulevard des Miseeres a musical piece about the liberation of the concentration-camp 'Kamp Westerbork' composed by Bernard van Beurden. This production made a tour in Holland and also to Israel. He also sang in the Cite de la Musique in Orphee aux Enfers by Darius Milhaud.
With Henk Kramer Hans Pootjes formes a duo, specialized in music which is slightly, as to say, off the beaten path. He also contributed to two CD's of jazz flutist Chris Hinze, namely 'Se'nang' and 'Tai Chi'. |