Kees Bakels
Encyclopedia
Kees Bakels is a Dutch
conductor
.
Bakels began his musical career as a violin
ist, and later studied conducting at the Amsterdam Conservatory and the Accademia Musicale Chigiana
in Siena
, Italy
. He has appeared with many orchestras as a guest conductor, in addition to holding titled position with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra
and with the Netherlands Radio Symphony
. He was principal guest conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
for 10 years, and recorded symphonies of Ralph Vaughan Williams
with the orchestra for the Naxos label.
Bakels was the first music director of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra
, from 1997 to 2005. He now has the title of conductor laureate of the orchestra. Bakels initially had intended to step down from the MPO music directorship prior to 2005, after James Judd had been named the MPO's next music director in September 2003. However, in April 2004, the MPO terminated the agreement with Judd without public explanation, and Judd never took up the post of the MPO's music director. Bakels continued to hold the MPO music directorship until Matthias Bamert
officially took up the post in 2005. With the orchestra, Bakels has recorded several CDs for BIS Records
, including music of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
and of Edouard Lalo
.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
.
Bakels began his musical career as a violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist, and later studied conducting at the Amsterdam Conservatory and the Accademia Musicale Chigiana
Accademia Musicale Chigiana
The Accademia Musicale Chigiana is a music institute in Siena, Italy. It was founded by Count Guido Chigi Saracini in 1932 as an international centre for advanced musical studies. It organises Master Classes in the major musical instruments as well as singing, conducting and composition...
in Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. He has appeared with many orchestras as a guest conductor, in addition to holding titled position with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra
Netherlands Chamber Orchestra
The Netherlands Chamber Orchestra is a chamber orchestra based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The NKO is part of the Stichting Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest , along with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra . The core of the NKO is a group of at least 20 string instrumentalists...
and with the Netherlands Radio Symphony
Netherlands Radio Symphony
The Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestra was a Dutch radio orchestra. It was founded in 1985 after a merger of the Promenade Orchestra and the Radio Orchestra ....
. He was principal guest conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra is an English orchestra. Originally based in Bournemouth, the BSO moved its offices to the adjacent town of Poole in 1979....
for 10 years, and recorded symphonies of Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many...
with the orchestra for the Naxos label.
Bakels was the first music director of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra
Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra
The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra is a Malaysian orchestra, resident at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas in Kuala Lumpur. The orchestra gives concerts throughout Malaysia and also in Singapore....
, from 1997 to 2005. He now has the title of conductor laureate of the orchestra. Bakels initially had intended to step down from the MPO music directorship prior to 2005, after James Judd had been named the MPO's next music director in September 2003. However, in April 2004, the MPO terminated the agreement with Judd without public explanation, and Judd never took up the post of the MPO's music director. Bakels continued to hold the MPO music directorship until Matthias Bamert
Matthias Bamert
Matthias Bamert is a Swiss composer and conductor.Matthias Bamert studied music in his native Switzerland as well as in Paris and Darmstadt, falling in with the likes of Pierre Boulez and Karlheinz Stockhausen; these associations can be detected in his own compositions from the 1970's...
officially took up the post in 2005. With the orchestra, Bakels has recorded several CDs for BIS Records
BIS Records
BIS Records is a record label founded in 1973 by Robert von Bahr. It is located in Åkersberga, Sweden.BIS focuses on classical music, both contemporary and early, especially works that are not already well represented by existing recordings....
, including music of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov was a Russian composer, and a member of the group of composers known as The Five.The Five, also known as The Mighty Handful or The Mighty Coterie, refers to a circle of composers who met in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in the years 1856–1870: Mily Balakirev , César...
and of Edouard Lalo
Édouard Lalo
Édouard-Victoire-Antoine Lalo was a French composer.-Biography:Lalo was born in Lille , in northernmost France. He attended that city's music conservatory in his youth. Then, beginning at age 16, Lalo studied at the Paris Conservatoire under Berlioz's old enemy François Antoine Habeneck...
.