Soprano - singing teacher - choir director

Marije Rommes

I took a degree in Music Education (1993-1998) and then went on to train as a classical singer (1999-2003) and choir director (2005-2007) at the Zwolle conservatory in The Netherlands. Simultaneously I studied Musicology (1998-2004) at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands, where I wrote an extended essay on the castrato singer Guadagni.

In 2007 I decided to move to London, where I sang first soprano in the London Philharmonic Choir with concerts in the Royal Albert Hall, the Royal Festival Hall and Salisbury Cathedral. I sang solo recitals in Morley College, the Crown Court Church of Scotland and Schott's Music Publishers and took workshops with Peter Wright and John Rutter. In London I conducted the Blackfriars Choir (classical music) and the Highgate Newtown Community choir (classsical and world music) and taught singing in Camden at the English Folk Dance and Song Society.

In November 2010 I moved back to Zwolle. I kept working together with pianist John Collis on concerts in England, besides my solo recitals in The Netherlands. Next to my singing practice I taught two courses of music history at the Zwolle people’s university. I am currently working as a choir director with five choirs (women’s choir Na 8en and mixed choir Nobiz etc.) and hugely enjoy teaching my private singing students.

Since 1998 I was the choir director of a wide variety of choirs (the Inn-singers (Renaissance music), the Zwolle Students choir(classical-, pop- and world music), Puur Zang (classical and world music), the pop music choir of the School of Music, Nootverband (women’s choir, pop music) etc.

 

Besides my work as a choir director I has also performed as a soloist, with music ranging from Purcell’s "King Arthur" in Dalfsen, to a concert in collaboration with the Modern Vocal Group in Odeon, Zwolle and Christmas concerts at the Broederenkerk in Deventer. From 2005 I sang in the professional ASKO chamber choir, Amsterdam led by Jos Leussink, a choir breaking new ground in executing the latest Dutch classical music, with performances in the Concertgebouw etc..

During this time I was also working as a singing teacher at the Schools of Music in both Apeldoorn and Zwolle and taught singing to groups and individuals. I was assigned to develop a crash course in singing by the Apeldoorn Choir Federation.