Biography
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Born
8 October 1947 (age 77)
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Born In
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Bob van Asperen, harpsichordist, organist, conductor, clavichordist and early music-specialist, was born in Amsterdam on 8 October 1947. After completing a conventional music course at university, in 1967 he studied under the harpsichord master Gustav Leonhardt. In 1968 he joined the group Quadro Hotteterre, of which he was a member until 1984. He completed his studies in 1972 with distinction after finishing a course in organ at the Amsterdam Conservatory given by Albert de Klerk. After finishing his studies, Bob van Asperen accepted a teaching post at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. He held this post until he was invited to replace the departing Gustav Leonhardt at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam, where he is now a professor of harpsichord and basso continuo.
Van Asperen also teaches at summer academies in Europe and Canada where his masterclasses attract students from all over the world. A recognized specialist in the realm of performance on period keyboard instruments, his extensive knowledge of keyboard repertoire from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries is reflected in his wide-ranging concert programmes. In addition to concert engagements in Holland, foreign tours have included performances throughout Europe, the United States, Russia and Australia. His repertoire on harpsichord, organ, and clavichord is expansive and ranges from the music of John Bull and Byrd to that of Padre Antonio Soler, and to Johann Sebastian Bach and his sons. From time to time he also conducts baroque or modern orchestras.
Bob van Asperen has also been a member of the jury at several important harpsichord competitions such as those of Amsterdam, Paris, Nantes and Hamburg. His recordings have received much critical acclaim and awards, including the Edison Award, the Deutscher Schallplattenpreis, the Cecilia Prize (Belgium) the Timbre d’Argent and the Diapason d’Or.
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