Willem van Twillert
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Willem van Twillert received his first music lessons from his uncle Jacques de Jong and from January 1965 at the Regional Music School in Amersfoort, where he received organ and harmony lessons from Henk Seldenthuis (1932-2004).
From 1970 he studied at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam with Piet Kee (organ, improvisation and composition), Willem Brons (second major in piano) and with Robert Heppener (music theory), Mrs. Belinfante (composition, analysis, harmony and counterpoint) and Jan Pasveer (choral conducting).
From 1975 he also studied orchestral conducting with Anton Kersjes for three years. In 1976 he obtained the practical diploma in Church Music and in 1978 the diploma of Performing Musician laude with the endorsement for improvisation in the acte muziekonderwijs-B for organ.
From 1978 to 1981 a scholarship gave him the opportunity to specialize in early music with Gustav Leonhardt (organ), Anneke Uittenbosch (harpsichord) and Klaas Bolt (style improvisation).
In 1976 he was the first (and so far only) Dutch finalist of the French Grand Prix de Chartres.
Between 1975 and 1980 he took courses with Daniel Roth, Ewald Kooiman (literature), Hans Haselböck, Zsigmond Szathmáry and Peter Planyavsky (improvisation).
A study of the eighteenth-century German organ repertoire was a starting point for his first chorale arrangements, of which both sheet music and CDs have been published in various series. Since 2006 he has also been composing for orchestra and chamber music ensembles. He took composition and instrumentation lessons with Henk Alkema.
In 1979 he was appointed organist of the Johanneskerk in Amersfoort after a comparative test by four professional organists.
Van Twillert developed into a sought-after guest on organ concert stages. His CD and DVD recordings have become popular, partly due to a striking choice of repertoire (room for unknown but attractive compositions) and through his YouTube channel.
For music publisher Willemsen, he edited the series ORGANISTS from the 18th and 19th CENTURIES.
From 1983 onwards, Willem's compositions appeared regularly in print, including by Muziekuitgeverij Boeijenga.
In 2004 the German publishing house Butz published his Toccata over, U be de Glorie.
His Toccata à la Chaconne was awarded the audience prize and the second prize of the jury at the Hinsz Composition Competition, Kampen 2005.
During the Polish International Composers' Competition in Mikolów 2007, Van Twillert won the Honorary Prize with his 'Sequence for Choir and Organ'.
In 2008 his organ work Par le Temps was awarded the PRIX GASTON LITAIZE at the Festival du Comminges in France.
In addition to being an organ teacher at the Municipal Music School in Zwolle (1981-1988), he was director/owner of a private music school in Bunschoten from 1976 to 2003.
From 1986 to 2006 Willem was also one of the editors for the monthly magazine 'De Orgelvriend'.
In 2003 he was invited as a jury member by the Reformatorisch Dagblad and the Orgelvriend at the composition competition "Wie composeert het mooiste voorspel", while in 2000, 2004 and 2010 he acted as one of the jury members for the Groningen Orgelland Foundation for the Organ Competition for amateur organists.
Since 2001 he has also worked as a DVD and CD producer and label owner.
