Jaap Jan Hunze
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Conductor and singer Jaap Jan Hunze studied singing and conducting at the School of the Arts in Arnhem with Otto Couperus. He attended master classes with Jan van Beek and Willem Ravelli, among others, with whom he mainly focused on song interpretation and recitation. He built an international career and sang under renowned conductors such as Ricardo Chailly, Bernard Haitink, Edo de Waart, Ricardo Mutti, Valery Gergiev and Jean Fournet.
Jaap Jan has performed as a soloist in almost all countries in Europe, especially in England, France, Germany, Portugal and Switzerland. He also performed numerous times in the US and Canada. He made many major tours with his choirs to these countries and performed with his Millennium Men's Choir in 2000 at the famous Christal Catherdral in Los Angeles.
Hunze was associated with, among others, the world-famous NCRV Vocaal Ensemble and the Groot Omroepkoor of the NOB in Hilversum. He made several solo LPs and CDs and contributed to more than 100 LP and CD recordings. He was a soloist with almost all renowned choirs in our country and abroad and frequently performed for radio and television, especially in large productions by NCRV and EO.
Hunze plays a prominent role in the Dutch choir community. He is the founder of several important choirs, of which the Groot Gelre's Men's Choir (1980-1990) became a unique choir with no fewer than 300 singers and the National Concert Men's Choir. A special highlight is his performance before Her Majesty King Beatrix and Prince Claus, in the presence of Princess Juliana and Prince Bernard and the almost entire cabinet.
In 1997, in the context of the Millennium Year 2000, he took the initiative to establish the Millennium Men's Choir. With this choir he achieved great success at home and abroad. The choir received a 3rd prize and a commendatory certificate at a major international choir festival with more than 80 choirs from all over the world. In addition, Jaap Jan Hunze received a special diploma for his craftsmanship and remarkable management.
Jaap Jan Hunze, in close collaboration with 2nd conductor Peter Witteveen, wrote the famous Messe Solennelle by Charles Gounod especially for his Millennium Men's Choir and gave its world premiere in 2007 in the main hall of the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. At the end of this concert he received a Royal decoration in the Order of Orange Nassau for his great services to choral singing in the Netherlands on this world stage.
