Conrad van Alphen (Netherlands) ← Back to list Conductor
The well-established Dutch/South African conductor Conrad van Alphen has internationally gained tremendous popularity with orchestras and audiences alike for the manner in which he rehearses and performs.
As international guest conductor Conrad boasts an impressive array of appearances with acclaimed orchestras such as the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Berliner Symphoniker, Stuttgarter Philharmoniker, Bochumer Symphoniker, Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, Russian National Orchestra, Svetlanov Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Brussels Philharmonic, Residentie Orchestra The Hague, Bogota Philharmonic, Enescu Philharmonic Bucharest, Budapest Symphony Orchestra Mav, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra of the Gran Teatre del Liceu and many more.
Between 2005 and 2008 Conrad van Alphen was chief conductor of the Russian State Safonov Philharmonic Orchestra and as Artist of the Moscow Philharmonic Society he has conducted orchestra’s throughout the Russian Federation.
At the turn of the new millennium, Conrad founded Sinfonia Rotterdam, of which he remains chief conductor and artistic director. The orchestra presents concert series at de Doelen in Rotterdam, at the Nieuwe Kerk in The Hague and at the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Under Conrad’s leadership, it has become an internationally recognised ensemble, has made acclaimed recordings, and has toured Mexico, Brazil, Columbia, Chile, China and Russia.
Conrad works with soloists of the highest caliber. He has collaborated with Mikhail Pletnev, Nikolai Lugansky, Ronald Brautigam, Janine Jansen, Simone Lamsma, Daniel Hope, Benjamin Schmid, Nikita Boriso-Glebsky, Quirine Viersen, Alban Gerhardt, amongst many others.
As a recording artist Van Alphen has worked with Channel Classics, Telarc, Raptus, Talent Records, Cybele and Brilliant Classics. His disc of music by Rodrigo with the
Sinfonia Rotterdam received Gramophone Magazine’s Editor’s Choice accolade, while his recent recording of the Hérold piano concertos with the WDR Radio Orchestra in Cologne was highly acclaimed by American Record Guide.
Conrad was born in Pretoria, South Africa, in 1963. After his music studies he moved to The Netherlands at the age of 26, where he joined the double bass section of the Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hilversum, and the Beethoven Academie, Antwerp. He studied conducting with Eri Klas and Roberto Benzi.
“Bright feast for the senses: Montreal music lovers can boast of having witnessed one of the most brilliant feats of their symphony orchestra, which delivered a performance of rare elegance. The charismatic conductor Conrad van Alphen breathed an impressive breath of fresh air into this truly symphonic marathon. Though Rachmaninoff’s second symphony is colossal, the friendly conductor took the precaution of always allowing the orchestra to express its personality and creativity, giving the sound of these works a kind of fluid and flowing timelessness.”
Xavier Proulx – Montreal 2018
