FRANS BRUGGEN

Frans Brüggen

Frans Brüggen is one of the world's foremost recorder players and conductors. In both capacities, he is an advocate of historically accurate performance practice of early music. As a recorder player, he has also premiered contemporary compositions. Brüggen has taught some of the leading recorder players in the Netherlands and ...
Full biography

Instruments

blokfluit, dirigent, traverso

Mentioned in the biography of

1921   De Nederlandse Bachvereniging
1946   Lucy van Dael
1948   Wilbert Hazelzet
1969   Marcel Beekman
1981   Teunis van der Zwart
2000   Pieter-Jan Belder
2001   Hannes Minnaar
2011   Lenneke Ruiten
2012   Judith van Wanroij
2012   Lenneke Ruiten
More results Less results

Biography Frans Brüggen

Frans Brüggen is one of the world's foremost recorder players and conductors. In both capacities, he is an advocate of historically accurate performance practice of early music. As a recorder player, he has also premiered contemporary compositions. Brüggen has taught some of the leading recorder players in the Netherlands and the world. Among his extensive collection of recorders and flutes are instruments made by some of the legendary early makers, such as Bressan and Haka (recorders) and Stanesby (traverso). He has allowed the recorder maker Hans Coolsma to create copies of some of the instruments. Brüggen is also active as an editor of new editions of early compositions.

Played in

Orkest van de Achttiende Eeuw   dirigent

1934

Frans Brüggen is born on October 30 in Amsterdam.

1952

He graduates from the Amsterdam Muzieklyceum after studying with Kees Otten, who was the first recorder player to teach and perform on the instrument at a professional level.

1952 - 1956

Brüggen takes classes in musicology at the University of Amsterdam. In 1953 he passes the National Exam for the flute. At age 21, he becomes a recorder teacher at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, a position that brings him international fame.

1966

On December 7, Brüggen performs the premiere of Luciano Berio's 'Gesti' at Wigmore Hall in London.

1967

He begins the Brüggen Consort, an ensemble dedicated to the performance of early music.

1968 - 1969

The composer Makoto Shinohara dedicates his recorder piece 'Fragments' to Brüggen. Peter Schat composes 'Hypothema' (1969) for him.

Peter Schat

1971

Brüggen gives an unparalleled solo traverso performance in J.S. Bach's cantata 'Lieber Gott, wenn wird Ich sterben', in the Telefunken complete recordings of Bach cantatas conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt and – as here – Gustav Leonhardt.

Gustav Leonhardt

1972 - 1974

He begins the recorder ensemble Sour Cream with Kees Boeke and Walter van Hauwe. Brüggen teaches performance practice of Baroque music at Harvard University. As the Regent's Professor, he teaches performance practice of Baroque music at the University of California, Berkeley.

Kees Boeke Walter van Houwe

1974

With the oboist Bruce Haynes, bassoonist Hans-Jurge Lange, and organist/harpsichordist Bob van Asperen, Brüggen records the complete Handel sonatas for wind instrument and basso continuo for the Philips Seon Series. Louis Andriessen composes Melodie for him, a piece that is a cornerstone of Andriessen's oeuvre.

Bob van Asperen

1981

Brüggen founds the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century, which he continues to lead to this day. The orchestra, whose repertoire ranges from early music to the early-Romantic era, plays on authentic instruments or copies of them.

Orkest van de Achttiende Eeuw

1990

At the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Brüggen conducts the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in one of its traditional Passion series concerts with a performance of Bach's 'St John Passion'.

Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest

1991 - 1994

Brüggen is the conductor of the Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra. In August 1991, he makes his debut at the Salzburg festival conducting the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. This performance leads to invitations to guest conduct the Mozarteum Orchester. From 1992 on he is, along with Simon Rattle, the principal guest conductor of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

1997

He is awarded the UNESCO International Music Prize in the performance category.

1998

Brüggen becomes the principal guest conductor, along with Christophe Dohnányi, of the Orchestre de Paris.

2007

Brüggen is awarded the Oeuvre Prize of the Association of Theatre and Conservatory Directors (VSCD by its Dutch initials). He leads the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century in a series of performances of Bach's 'St John Passion'. In his review of the concert, Kasper Jansen writes: “Where other conductors get off to a forceful and commanding start, Brüggen presents an exceptionally slow, hesitating and submissive opening chorus in Herr, unser Herrscher. There is a direct connection to the closing chorale, Ach, Herr, lass dein lieb Engelein, which Brüggen ends in a powerful and assertive promise of faith in Ich will dich preisen ewiglich!” (NRC Handelsblad, March 27, 2007).

2010

In May, the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century makes its hundredth tour conducted by Brüggen. The programme includes a work “already proclaimed a merrymaker, 'Les Indes galantes' by Rameau,” as Lonneke Regter wrote. (de Volkskrant, October 21, 2009). On September 22, Queen Beatrix handed out the honorary medal for Art & Science to Frans Brüggen.

Photos Frans Brüggen

Audio/Video Frans Brüggen

Video Frans Brüggen