Jochanan van Driel, Master of Arts, musician, conductor (organ, harpsichord, choir, orchestre)
" Music is My first love and music will be My last"
30-01-2009
Biografie
The song text: “Music was my first love, and it will be my last, music of the future and music of the past, to live without my music would be impossible to do. In this world of trouble my music pulls me through” (John Miles), could be the summary of the life of International recitalist and conductor Jochanan (Jan) van Driel. His choose for the organ as his main instrument, harpsichord as his second and conducting as his third, and besides that his great love for singing gives a profound dimension at the text mentioned above. For him his avowed musical mission is to praise his Creator Adonai the Lord Almighty as a performer (organ, piano, harpsichord) and conductor/choirmaster. A native of the small town Axel in the Dutch Province Zeeuwsch-Vlaanderen, (The Netherlands) he first studied the organ with the local organist Piet Brakman at the age of eight. After completing his secondary school education he attended the Municipal Music and Art Academy, Eeklo (organ teacher: Luc Leupe), The State Art and Music Academy, Antwerp and Ghent and the Royal School of Music and Dance in Ghent. (Belgium, Organ teachers: Gabriel Verschraegen and Edward de Geest). In 1985 he was admitted to the world famous master class of Flor Peeters and as a result, he was permitted to become one of the few international students of Prof. Flor Peeters. He continued under his tutelage until the great man’s death in 1986. Prof. Flor Peeters became the great musical inspiration of Mr. van Driel, his main teacher and above all a friend to be held in high estimation. In 1992 Mr. van Driel became a member of the Royal Dutch Society of Science and literature. In 1993 he was invited by Russian Ministry of Culture and Science to make a special study of the Russian Orthodox Music, Choir and Orchestra direction, Russian Language and Culture at the famous and very prestigious Rimsky Korsakov Conservatory at St. Petersburg. He studied with the professors: Valeriji Velovodowits Uspenski (Russian Orthodox Music) and with Ilya Musin also the teacher of Valery Gergiev (Orchestra conducting). Mr. van Driel studied besides the Russian Culture and language also the Hebrew language and Culture. He studied “Jewish fundamentalism” on the Amsterdam Maastricht Summer University with Prof. Dr. Ada Rapoport-Albert, Prof. Dr. Aviezer Ravitzky and Prof. Dr. Nasr. Abu Zayd. He continued his studies at the University of Amsterdam for the subjects: Talmud, Biblical Hebrew, Hebrew, and Jewish History with Prof. Dr. W. Jac van Bekkum, Prof. Dr. I. Zwiep and Prof. Dr. S. Berger. After this study he continued his study in Musicology on the subject ethnomusicology, on the moment called Cultural- Musicology. His main- teacher is Dr.Wim van der Meer. The University of Amsterdam honoured his excellence in study with a scholarship for the research master. He graduated in August 2010 cum laude as Master of Arts (In Great Britain and America MPhil). He becomes an international authority in the Jewish Synagogue Music, and he specialised in the study of musical instruments of the Tenach (the Old Testament), the liturgical music of the Baghdadi Jews in India, the music-culture of the Jews in Brazil and the klezmermusic. He did major fieldwork in Brazil researching the music-culture of the Jews in Brazil, chazanoet, klezmer, Yiddisch music and their hybridity forms and interrelations in the major cities São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. He did a specialistic research as an organbuilding-specialist on request of the board of directors of the ARI synagogue to investigate the conditions en the possibilities to restore the large Bohn synagogue-organ in the ARI synagogue in RIo de Janeiro. To learn from the techniques and ideals of others he did not only study with several international acclaimed musicians but also participated in several master classes. We mention a master class of baroque interpretation with Ton Koopman, a master class for choir directors with Jean Jakus (choirmaster of the Choir of European Community), a master class with the composer Daan Manneke about modern music. At young age he has gained an amazing amount of experience in teaching, performing as an organist, pianist, harpsichord player (also with chamber-orchestra) accompanist and conductor. Through His music historic research he became a specialist in the teaching and the performing of the Flemish and Dutch (early) Baroque, and a specialist of the liturgical music of this period. International he is acclaimed for his knowledge of the music of Flor Peeters and of the Russian Orthodox Choir Music. He functioned as organ building-specialist and organ-adviser for the Ministry of Culture of Israel, the Ministry of Culture of Germany and the Institute for Research of Jewish Music, Beth Hatefutsoth. For them he did in assistants with Prof. Dr. Jurgen Rödeland a major research after the remaining synagogue-organs in Germany and he was the president of the team of scholars that did research in the possibility to replace some instruments back in there original condition in synagogues and conservatories in Israel. For the season 2009/2010 he was appointed as a guest-lecturer at the Rotterdam World Music Academy (CODARTS) for the topic Gregorian Chant. In the seasons 2010/2011, 2011/2012 he teached at the same institute for the topic Jewish music-culture and Klezmer. For the season 2010/2011 he was also quest-lecturer at the Leiden University for the topic Jewish music- culture, klezmer.
Mr. van Driel now pursues an international career from his home in the Netherlands and frequent visits to other regions as the U.S.A., South-America, Israel, Africa, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand complement his engagement within Europe.
He has appeared at several Major National and International festivals:
Holland :The Summer Organ Festival at Zoutelande
The Organ Festival Limburg, 2004
Belgium:The Festival of Flanders, Geraardsbergen, Ghent, The Organ and Choirfestival of Ghent Festivals, St. Michiels Church Ghent, The Widor festival 1995, St. Michiels Church Ghent. Denmark: The Amager Music festival, Dragor, The Bornholm Organ Festival, Bornholm, Romania : The Transylvania Organ festival, Israel: The Bach Organ festival of Israel, Jerusalem, Japan: The Fourth International Bach Organ festival Japan, Tokyo.
Ecuador: The Organ festival for the Inauguration of the restored “Sauer”
organ in the Cathedral of Loja.
He also performed at such world renowned venues as St. Rombouts Cathedral, Mechelen, Dinant Notre Dame, Belgium; Eglise St. Barthelemy, Gerardmer, France; St. Pauls Cathedral, London, England; The State Theater, Pretoria, South-Africa; The University of Port Elizabeth, South-Africa; The Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music, Boedapest, Hungary; The Protestant Theological Faculty, Debrecen, Hungary; The Abbey of Pannonhalma, Hungary; The Music House, Windesheim, Germany (playing copies of harpsichords and organs from the middle ages until the Baroque); Lutherian Church, Altwied, Germany; Dormition Abbey, Mount Sion, Jerusalem, Israel; Ascension Church, Mount of Olives, Jerusalem, Israel; National Presbyterian Church, National Shrine of Immaculate Conception, Washington, National Cathedral, Washington DC, U.S.A; St. Thomas Church, New York, U.S.A.; St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York, U.S.A.; Crystal Cathedral, Los Angeles, U.S.A.; St. Andrews Cathedral, Singapore; The Concerthall and Cultural Centre of Hong Kong; St. Pauls Cathedral Melbourne, St. Andrews Uniting Church Brisbane (On invitation of the Organ society of Queensland Inc), St. George’s Cathedral, Perth, Australia; Christchurch Cathedral, Christchurch, St. Pauls Cathedral, Dunedin, New-Zealand.
Besides the above mentioned Mr. van Driel has given numerous recitals as an accompanist and as a conductor with orchestra and with his choirs. Expected Future Engagements will take Mr. van Driel to Belgium, Germany, Portugal, the U.S.A., Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New-Zealand and South America.
Broadcasting, Recordings: Radio performances for the Dutch Broadcasting on the Cathedral organ of the St. Rombouts Cathedral in Mechelen (Belgium). Several radio performances with his choirs and as an accompanist for the Dutch Broadcasting in the last years. Live radio performance for the Danish Broadcasting at the organ in Dragor Kirke at the Amager festival Denmark. Broadcasting of his organ recital at St. Pauls Cathedral Melbourne, Australia for the local Radio. He has made a commercial recording of the Cathedral organ of the St. Rombouts in Mechelen (Belgium ) Future recordings on CD with his choirs and as an organist are projected.
We mention: His functioning for more then 25 years as conductor, organist and church musician in several traditions: Catholic, Lutheran, and Protestant. He conducted in this function al sort of choirs.His function for 30 years (from his14th) as cantor, organist of the Royal Juliana Hospital in Terneuzen, where he worked for both the Protestant and the Catholic tradition. His function for ten years as chairman of the College of the Catholic Choirs of the Province Zeeland, the major Choir Circle of the Diocese Breda. In this function, he was responsible for the quality of the choirs and for the communication between the choirs and the diocese. His serving as a Guest Professor at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary, teaching the organ literature of the Dutch and Flemish Baroque and teaching the old Dutch organ building. His master classes for the students of the School of Church Music (a Department of the Singapore Bible College) at the Catholic St. Andrews Cathedral in Singapore teaching the choir and organ music from the composer Prof. Flor Peeters and the liturgical Dutch and Flemish music of the 16th and 17th century. His master- class at the University of the District of Columbia, Washington DC for the Dutch music of the Baroque. Several master classes about organ and harpsichord playing, conducting, and about the good use of the human voice in the choir practice in the own region and other region’s. He was appointed for the season 2009/2010 as a guest- teacher at the Rotterdam World Music Academy (a division of the Rotterdam Conservatory) for the topics Gregorian Chant and for the season 2010/ 2011 for the topic Jewish culture and music; Klezmer. For the season 2011/2012 he is a guest teacher at the Leiden University for the topic Jewish culture and music; klezmer.
As an accompanist he played the organ, piano and harpsichord for many choirs and soloists. He worked for example for the Jewish Lewandowski Choir in Amsterdam, The renowned Dutch Ladies Choir “Davanti” in Aalsmeer, the “Terra Sancta” Choir, Lamswaarde (The Netherlands), the “Ruysschevelde” Choir, Stekene (Belgium).
“The Choice of his program is excellent, just for this organ, his playing is a combination of the grandeur of Gaston Litaize and the cool calculated style of the musicians of Northern Europe.” ‘La liberte de l’est’ Gerardmer, France, 1986
“He plays the music in the perfect way, he doesn’t neglect the emotional part of the music, the playing of the Gregorian Toccata and Fuque ‘Ave Maris Stella’ of Flor Peeters sounds beautiful Roman Catholic and Magistral, it’s an organist of extreme high standards.”
‘Het Reformatorisch Dagblad’ The Netherlands, 1987
“Mr. van Driel’s interpretation gives just the finishing touch to the music of Sweelinck and van de Kerckhoven.” ‘Berlingske Tidende’ Kopenhagen, Denmark , 1988
“A briljant young Dutch organist ‘The Armwaving Master’ van Driel has made astonishing, convincing, musical, plea for the music of his master Prof. Flor Peeters. Besides his virtuose technique and his highly convincing interpretations, he plays with simplicity, soberness, brightness and the complete use of colors of his instrument.”
‘The Pretoria News’, Pretoria , South Africa, 1989
“Thanks to the telling and masterly compelling and authoritatively indications of the conductor and choirmaster Mr. van Driel the choir and instrumental ensemble started and closed ‘splash equal’. The choir sound of the Emoena Chamber choir of Leiden was smooth, clear, bright and very organized especially in the difficult work of F. Mendelssohn for eight different voices the Psalm 100. The musical expression of the choir was beautiful with variation of nuancing from jubilation going to ecstasy, from joyful singing going to serenity and solemnity showing of a high quality of Singing Art. It was a real festive event where the choir and his conductor showed everything from their musical capacity.” ‘Het Leidsch Dagblad’, Leiden The Netherlands 1994
“Mr. van Driel played superb, he was ‘warming up’ the St. Michiel church in Ghent with his concert playing works from Bach, Bruch, S. Lang, Sleurinck and Widor. Even what Mr. van Driel was experimenting, his articulation was clear, his registration refreshing refined, his playing dynamic and colourful and above all excellent.”
‘De Gentenaar’, Ghent, Belgium
Jochanan (Jan Pieter) van Driel komt uit de regio Zeeuws –Vlaanderen en begon al op zijn zevende jaar met zijn muzikale opleiding. Hij studeerde eerst bij organist P. Brakman in zijn geboorteplaats Axel en vervolgde zijn opleiding aan de Stedelijke Muziekacademie te Eeklo, de Rijks Muziekacademie te Gent het Koninklijk Conservatorium te Gent en het Koninklijk Conservatorium te Antwerpen. Hij continueerde zijn orgelopleiding bij de wereldberoemde organist Prof. Flor Peeters aan de St. Romboutskathedraal te Mechelen. deze docent werd zijn in inspirator maar bovenal grote vriend. Hij studeerde o.a. orgel, klavecimbel, piano, solozang, koordirectie, harmonie, contrapunt, solfège, muziekgeschiedenis. In 1993 studeerde hij koor en orkestdirectie aan het vermaarde Rimsky Korsakov Conservatorium te St. Petersburg op uitnodiging van het Russische Ministerie van Cultuur en hier specialiseerde hij zich in de Russische Orthodoxe Muziek en de praktijk van de orkestdirectie bij professor Valeriji Velovodowits Uspenski en Ilya Musin. Hij volgde tevens een meestercursus barokinterpretatie bij Ton Koopman en een meestercursus moderne muziek bij Daan Manneke.
Hij studeerde de Hebreeuwse cultuur en taal en musicologie aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam. Eind 2006 werd hij als één van de weinigen toegelaten tot de Onderzoeksmaster Kunstwetenschappen aan de faculteit van Muziek en Kunstwetenschappen aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam. Hij bestudeerde de muziek van de Joden in India, met name de synagogale muziek van de Bagdadi joden, in mei 2009 deed hij veldonderzoek, in opdracht van de Universiteit van Amsterdam, naar de synagogale en wereldlijke muziekcultuur van de Joden in Brazilië, dit in de steden Sao Paulo en Rio de Janeiro. In augustus 2010 studeerde hij cum laude af aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam in de researchmaster Arts in Nederland mag hij de titel Drs. voeren internationaal, Master of Arts (In Groot-Brittannië, de USA etc.: MPhil). Hij wordt als een autoriteit gezien in het onderzoeksveld van de joodse muziek (synagogale muziek, Jiddische muziek en klezmer), Hij specialiseerde zich daarnaast in de Russisch Orthodoxe Muziek en de orgelbouwkunde. In de laatst genoemde discipline deed hij in opdracht van het Ministerie van Cultuur in Duitsland en Israel en de Universiteiten van Mainz en Tel Aviv onderzoek naar de overgebleven synagogenorgels in Duitsland en hij onderzocht in samenwerking met de Duitse monumentenzorg de mogelijkheid tot herplaatsing en restauratie van enkele van deze instrumenten in de Universiteit van Tel- Aviv en in het onderzoeksinstituut voor Joodse Muziek, Beth Hatefutsoth te Tel Aviv. In dit kader werd hij aangesteld als orgeladviseur, voorzitter en eerste verantwoordelijke voor de restauratie.
Als musicus heeft hij een grote reputatie opgebouwd als docent, begeleider, klavecinist, organist, dirigent en concertmusicus en geld als specialist in de uitvoering van de muziek van Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck en de muziek van zijn leermeester Prof. Flor Peeters.
Hij is vaste organist van de Hervormde Kerk in Oostburg en organist van de kapel van het Ziekenhuis de Honte in Terneuzen. Hij is dirigent van vier koren, waarvan drie in het groene hart van Holland, Het Together Gospelkoor, het Dorpskerkkoor Boskoop. In de regio is hij dirigent van de Cantorij van de Gereformeerde kerk Vrijgemaakt in Terneuzen en dirigent/organist van het parochiekoor van Sas van Gent.
Hij was verder werkzaam als gastdocent aan de Ferenc Liszt Academy of Boedapest, het Catholic Bible College verbonden aan de St. Andrewscathedral en de Singapore University te Singapore en aan de Universiteit van het District of Columbia in Washington DC.
In het seizoen 2009/2010 was hij verbonden als gastdocent aan the Rotterdam World Music Academy, een afdeling van het Rotterdams Conservatorium, hier doceerde hij Gregoriaans. In 2010/2011 en 2011/2012 was hij als gastdocent aan het zelfde instituut verbonden voor Joodse cultuur en muziek; klezmer. In het seizoen 2011/2012 was hij ook gastdocent aan de Universiteit van Leiden hier doceerde hij Joodse cultuur en muziek,specifiek de klezmermuziek.
Hij werkte als specialist in de muziek van Bach mee aan het Bach Orgelfestival te Jeruzalem en het Bach Orgelfestival te Tokyo en als specialist oude muziek o.a. aan het Amagerfestival te Denemarken. Als concertmusicus musiceert hij in alle continenten en op vele toplocaties. Wij noemen o.a. The Washington National Cathedral Washington DC, St. Pauls Cathedral London, St. Patricks Cathedral New York, St.Thomas Church New York, Crystal Cathedral Los Angeles, St. Pauls Cathedral Melbourne, St. Andrews Cathedral Singapore, Christchurch Cathedral Christchurch New Zealand, The Concerthall and Cultural Centre of Hong Kong. Zijn concerten werden “life” uitgezonden in Australië, Denemarken, Engeland de V.S. en voor de Nederlandse radio.
He also performed at such world renowned venues as St. Rombouts Cathedral, Mechelen, Dinant Notre Dame, Belgium; Eglise St. Barthelemy, Gerardmer, France; St. Pauls Cathedral, London, England; The State Theater, Pretoria, South-Africa; The University of Port Elizabeth, South-Africa; The Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music, Boedapest, Hungary; The Protestant Theological Faculty, Debrecen, Hungary; The Abbey of Pannonhalma, Hungary; The Music House, Windesheim, Germany (playing copies of harpsichords and organs from the middle ages until the Baroque); Lutherian Church, Altwied, Germany; Dormition Abbey, Mount Sion, Jerusalem, Israel; Ascension Church, Mount of Olives, Jerusalem, Israel; National Presbyterian Church, National Shrine of Immaculate Conception, Washington, National Cathedral, Washington DC, U.S.A; St. Thomas Church, New York, U.S.A.; St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York, U.S.A.; Crystal Cathedral, Los Angeles, U.S.A.; St. Andrews Cathedral, Singapore; The Concerthall and Cultural Centre of Hong Kong; St. Pauls Cathedral Melbourne, St. Andrews Uniting Church Brisbane (On invitation of the Organ society of Queensland Inc), St. George’s Cathedral, Perth, Australia; Christchurch Cathedral, Christchurch, St. Pauls Cathedral, Dunedin, New-Zealand.
Besides the above mentioned Mr. van Driel has given numerous recitals as an accompanist and as a conductor with orchestra and with his choirs. Expected Future Engagements will take Mr. van Driel to Belgium, Germany, Portugal, the U.S.A., Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New-Zealand and South America.
We mention: His functioning for more then 25 years as conductor, organist and church musician in several traditions: Catholic, Lutheran, and Protestant. He conducted in this function al sort of choirs.His function for 30 years (from his14th) as cantor, organist of the Royal Juliana Hospital in Terneuzen, where he worked for both the Protestant and the Catholic tradition. His function for ten years as chairman of the College of the Catholic Choirs of the Province Zeeland, the major Choir Circle of the Diocese Breda. In this function, he was responsible for the quality of the choirs and for the communication between the choirs and the diocese. His serving as a Guest Professor at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary, teaching the organ literature of the Dutch and Flemish Baroque and teaching the old Dutch organ building. His master classes for the students of the School of Church Music (a Department of the Singapore Bible College) at the Catholic St. Andrews Cathedral in Singapore teaching the choir and organ music from the composer Prof. Flor Peeters and the liturgical Dutch and Flemish music of the 16th and 17th century. His master- class at the University of the District of Columbia, Washington DC for the Dutch music of the Baroque. Several master classes about organ and harpsichord playing, conducting, and about the good use of the human voice in the choir practice in the own region and other region’s. He was appointed for the season 2009/2010 as a guest- teacher at the Rotterdam World Music Academy (a division of the Rotterdam Conservatory) for the topics Gregorian Chant and for the season 2010/ 2011 for the topic Jewish culture and music; Klezmer. For the season 2011/2012 he is a guest teacher at the Leiden University for the topic Jewish culture and music; klezmer.
As an accompanist he played the organ, piano and harpsichord for many choirs and soloists. He worked for example for the Jewish Lewandowski Choir in Amsterdam, The renowned Dutch Ladies Choir “Davanti” in Aalsmeer, the “Terra Sancta” Choir, Lamswaarde (The Netherlands), the “Ruysschevelde” Choir, Stekene (Belgium).
