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The Dudok Ensemble was founded in 1999 by conductor Johan Rooze and a number of enthusiastic singers and instrumentalists. Johan Rooze was also the company's permanent conductor and artistic director until 2008. The ensemble consists of a core group of 40 singers and - depending on the work to be programmed - an equally large group of instrumentalists, both professional and semi-professional.
An important, annually recurring activity is the performance of J.S. Bach's Matthäus-Passion (BWV 244) in the Passion Time. This involved and continues to be collaborated with the Omroep Jongenskoor, Haags Matrozenkoor and the Rotterdams Jongenskoor. In recent years, performances have been given of J.S. Bach's Weihnachts-Oratorium (BWV 248), W.A. Mozart's Requiem and c-moll Messe, Haydn's Nelson Messe, Johannes Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem, Sergei Rachmaninov's Vespers, Gabriel Fauré's Requiem and several smaller works by the aforementioned composers.
In addition to permanent conductor Johan Rooze, the Dudok Ensemble was also conducted under the direction of other conductors: Hein Meens conducted a performance of J.S. Bach's Matthäus-Passion (BWV 244) in 2003 and Arie Hoek conducted the Christmas concert in 2003. Bas Ramselaar worked with the ensemble on vocal formation.
In 2008 and 2009, Erik Van Nevel conducted the performances of Matthäus-Passion (BWV 244), after he had already replaced Johan Rooze in 2008 in connection with his departure to his new homeland South Korea. In 2010 Jeroen Spitteler conducted the performances of Weihnachts-Oratorium (BWV 248). In 2011 Gijs Leenaars directed the performances of Matthäus-Passion (BWV 244). Matthäus-Passion (BWV 244) was conducted by Chris Pouw in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
The DUDOK ensemble is an initiative of the Stichting DUDOK Concerten.
The Stichting DUDOK Concerten
The name DUDOK for a Hilversum foundation is obvious: no city in the Netherlands is as strikingly shaped by the work of a single master builder as Hilversum. Architect Willem Marinus Dudok (1884-1974) worked for the municipality for 50 years, first as director of Public Works and from 1928 to 1954 as city architect. Dudok compared design with composing; as a passionate music lover, he regarded architecture as music in stone. The big Dudok commemoration in 1996 was therefore given the title: W.M. Dudok, composer of architecture.
Objective
Organizing and giving concerts is the main objective of the Stichting DUDOK Concerten. Up to now almost all projects have been carried out by the DUDOK Ensemble as a whole, but within the foundation there is room for the development of various musical initiatives. For example, the choir has participated a number of times in cantata performances of 'Cantate op de Brink' in Hilversum and (part of) the orchestra participated in performances of J.S. Bach's Weihnachts-Oratorium (BWV 248) by the Groot Concertkoor Amsterdam and the performance of Gabriel Fauré's Requiem by the Kamerkoor Kerkdriel. |
