Reinild Mees
Biography
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Biography
Stichting Het 20ste-eeuwse Lied
SPOTLIGHTS Concerts
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  After extensive piano studies with Gérard van Blerk (Amsterdam), Malcolm Frager (USA) and Noël Lee (Paris) the Dutch pianist Reinild Mees concentrated her activities on accompanying singers and instrumentalists in recital. High-ranking artists as Elly Ameling, Gérard Souzay and Sandor Végh helped her refine and perfect her talents in this demanding métier.

Today Reinild Mees is a much sought-after accompanist for song recitals and duo concerts. She performs regularly in radio and television broadcasts. For Channel Classics Records she has recorded a number of interesting CD’s: The Complete Songs of Sir Edward Elgar, Ottorino Respighi, Franz Schreker and Karol Szymanowski. Currently she is recording all songcycles of Robert Schumann with the German baritone Jochen Kupfer, playing a historical grand piano from Schumann’s time. All of her CD’s have received extremely good reviews in Gramophone, Fono Forum, Musica, Luister and other magazines. In 2004 Reinild Mees won the Szymanowski - Award and the Medal 'Merit of Polish Culture' for her achievements in promoting the song repertoire of Karol Szymanowski. Recently the Szymanowski CD's won the FRYDERYK AWARD, the most prestigious music award in Poland for the best recording of Polish music in 2004.

As a vocal coach Reinild Mees has taught at the Amsterdam and Utrecht Conservatory, the European Centre for Opera and Vocal Art (Ghent) and the Opera Studio Nederland. In addition to accompanying masterclasses for Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Irmgard Seefried, Galina Vishnevskaja and other famous singers she played as an official accompanist for a number of international competitions.

In order to promote the revival of the beautiful songs, mainly from the interbellum, which have been neglected after the Second World War, Reinild Mees founded the 20th Century Song Foundation. This foundation aims to bring back the musical treasure to the public by producing (semi-staged) song recitals with special themes: Spotlights concerts.
 
 
Interview (in German) with Reinild Mees by Alexander Rath for ORPHEUS, March/April 2010, entitled "Zu einer besseren Welt beitragen" - "Contributing to a better world" (pdf file)

Interview (in Dutch) with Reinild Mees by Jordi Kooiman for www.operamagazine.nl, January 2010, entitled "We moeten het lied niet laten uitsterven" - "We mustn't allow the art-song to become extinct" (pdf file)

Interview (in Dutch) with Reinild Mees by Thiemo Wind of De Telegraaf, April 2008, entitled "Liever niet in de schijnwerpers" - "Avoiding the spotlight" (pdf file)

 
 
Discography

All cds are available at Channel Classics Records www.channelclassics.com, with the exception of the Mendelssohn, which is available via Ars Produktion.

 
Click for more information on Edward Elgar Click for more information on Edward Elgar Click for more information on K. Szymanwoski Click for more information on K. Szymanwoski
Edward Elgar Edward Elgar Karol Szymanowski Karol Szymanowski

Click for more information on F. Schreker Click for more information on F. Schreker Click for more information on K. Szymanwoski Click for more information on K. Szymanwoski
Franz Schreker Franz Schreker Karol Szymanowski Karol Szymanowski

Klik voor meer informatie over O. Respighi Klik voor meer informatie over O. Respighi Klik voor meer informatie over O. Respighi Listen to excerpts from "Songs of Schumann"
Ottorino Respighi Ottorino Respighi Ottorino Respighi Robert Schumann



Click for more information on Mendelssohn
Chinese Lieder Felix Mendelssohn
 
 
 

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