Aad van der Hoeven
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Aad van der Hoeven studied organ, choir conducting and church music at the Rotterdam Conservatory. He was taught by Piet van den Kerkhoff, George Stam, Adriaan C. Schuurman and Professor Kurt Thomas, among others. He later studied school music in Utrecht.
Conductor
At the age of 18 he was appointed conductor of the Prinsekerkkoor. He then became conductor of the newly founded Toonkunstkoor Schiedam, with which he gave many concerts. With fellow student Robert Holl (bass) he gave his first concerts, including the Weihnachtsoratorium by J.S. Bach and The Messiah by G.F. Händel.
As a protégé of the Rotterdam conductor Piet Struijk he came into contact with opera. Aad van der Hoeven was active with the Rotterdam Opera Choir for 38 years. 25 years as an accompanist on the Doelen organ and then as a conductor.
Under the direction of Aad van der Hoeven, the Rotterdam Opera Choir has given many concerts in the Grote Zaal of De Doelen. With the successful annual New Year's Wish Concerts and the complete performance of Verdi's I Lombardi with the cooperation of international soloists and symphony orchestra, he established his name as an opera conductor. The fact that he considered De Doelen his home base was evident from the fact that he regularly gave concerts there with his three choirs.
For quite some time he was conductor of the Christian Residentie Men's Choir (CRM) in The Hague. With this choir he has made numerous concert tours through Europe.
Aad in 'work clothes'
Since 1973 he has been associated with Gloria-Toonkunst in Vlaardingen as a conductor. With this choir the Johannes Passion by Bach is regularly performed in the Grote Kerk in Vlaardingen. (www.gloria-toonkunst.nl)
Organist
He started as an organist at the age of 16 in the Dutch Protestant Association in Schiedam and within two years he was appointed Cantor-Organist of the Prinsekerk in Rotterdam-Blijdorp.
Since 1982 he has been organist of the oldest church in Rotterdam, the Hillegondakerk, with a beautifully restored Abraham Meere organ from 1830. He regularly gives organ concerts on Saturday afternoons. (www.rotterdamorgelstad.nl)
Concerts
As an organist and conductor, Aad van der Hoeven gave concerts in, among others:
- Berliner Philharmoniker and Gedächtniskirche in Berlin
- Notre Dame and Sacré Coeur in Paris
- Votive Church in Vienna
- Liszt Academy in Budapest
- Mahon, Menorca on the Balearic Islands
- City Hall Oxford
- St. Pauls Cathedral and Westminster Hall in London
- Notre Dame in Strasbourg
- Notre Dame in Reims
- Dom in Cologne
- Verona and Bologna in Italy
- St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague
- Christ Church in Oxford
- Salisbury Cathedral
Awards
For his services to French organ culture, he received the silver medal of the Société Academique: “Arts, Sciences, Lettres” in Paris.
The Dutch Reformed Church awarded him the insignia and the city of Rotterdam honored him with the Erasmus pin.
During a concert in the Doelen he was appointed Knight in the Order of Orange Nassau.
Due to his years of dedication (40 years) as conductor of Gloria Toonkunst Vlaardingen he was awarded the golden Vlaardingen city pin by the Mayor of the municipality of Vlaardingen on Saturday 21 September 2013.
