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The Namibian-born Belgian violinist, composer and harpsichordist, George Alexander van Dam, studied the violin with Jacques Israelievitch e.a. at Interlochen Center for the Arts (Class of 1982); at Brussels Royal Conservatory in the violin class of Georges Octors, chamber-music class of Arie van Lysebeth (1984-1987); and in master-classes with The Dutch Dorothy DeLay, Zinaïda Gilels, Albert Markov, Aaron Rosand and Rainer Kussmaul.
As a violinist George van Dam has worked with several leading composers of today – as a soloist or with contemporary-music ensembles such as the Ensemble Modern Frankfurt, MusikFabrik, Spectra and Ictus, of which he is one of the founding members. Being very active in the Belgian dance – and theatre world, he has also appeared as a soloist in the productions Rosa, Achterland, Kinok and Partita2 by Rosas/Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker and in Die Siel van die Mier, Escorial e.a. by Josse De Pauw (Muziek LOD, Transparant) as a pianist in Trio in Mi-Bémol (Mozart) by Jan Ritsema (Kaaitheater) and with Ultima Vez/Wim Vandekeybus.
His own compositions include song cycles, chamber music, a concerto for violin and timbila-orchestra (GP Drumming), music for film (Plateau Prize 2005), theatre/ dance performances, music for choir (Collegium Vocale) and works with visual artists Manon de Boer, Trudo Engels, Angela Bulloch, Ana Torfs e.a.
In 2012, George van Dam resumed his activities as harpsichordist and studied with Robert Kohnen, Ketil Haugsand (2014), Johan Pieterse, Bob van Asperen (2015) and Elisabeth Joyé in master-classes at the Piccola Accademia di Montisi and elsewhere.
Recent projects include the theatre productions War and Turpentine by Jan Lauwers/Needcompany in which he appeared as a soldier-violinist, Goldberg Variations (BWV 988) on the harpsichord (with the musician-performer Simon Lenski) and Probabilities of Independent Events by Grace Ellen Barkey/Needcompany.
George van Dam has taught at the Conservatory in Liège (Belgium), at the Darmstadt International Summer Courses for New Music (Germany), Akiyoshidai Seminar, Japan and currently teaches a post-graduate course in contemporary violin at the Conservatory in Ghent, Belgium. He currently lives in Brussels, Belgium. |
