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The Dutch choral conductor, Rudolf Grasman, was born in Haarlem. As a seven-year-old boy, he stood listening breathlessly in his birthplace to an alto solo from Matthäus-Passion (BWV 244) by J.S. Bach. After a subsequent contact with Jo Vincent, his interest in music was awakened. He learned to sing at the Muziekschool Haarlem. Later he studied solo singing with Cor Igesz and then with Annie Hermes at the het Koninklijk Conservatorium in The Hague, with a minor organ. Conductor/organist Piet Halsema and organist Feike Asma and Jo Vincent have also been important teachers for him. Afterwards he worked as a tenor in the NCRV Vocaal Ensemble and worked as a soloist in many oratorios. After the Vocaal Ensemble was dissolved by the NCRV, he continued this choir under the name Nederlands Vocaal Ensemble as conductor. He also became conductor of several choirs.
Rudof Grasman was conductor of the Cantorij Monnickendam from 1977 to 2008. In 1977 a vacancy arose due to the sudden dismissal of the then conductor, Peter Oosterveld, who from 1975 used the baton. As usual, there was an application procedure, in which discussions were held with three conductors. Rudolf Grasman was the one to be elected by a majority of votes.
Rudolf Grasman has a predilection for English cantatas and oratorios. He has worked to make this music known in the Netherlands, insofar as not previously performed in the Netherlands. This has resulted in two Dutch premieres under his direction, namely Theodora'by George Frideric Handel in 1985 by the Cantorij Monnickendam at the Grote Kerk in that town and Deborah by G.F. Handel in 1995 by the C.K.V. Amsterdam at the Westerkerk in Amsterdam. In 1996 he introduced the scratch version of the Easter cantata Crucifixion by J. Stainer: every year hundreds of singers from many parts of the country come together to perform this cantata at the Hooglandse Kerk in Leiden. Although Rudolf Grasman retired in 2008, he upholds this tradition so far (2012).
In 1994, Rudolf Grasman founded the Nederlands Handcarillon, a novelty in the Netherlands. Since his retirement, it has now been continued by Muziekschool Waterland in Purmerend. The Korendag in Monnickendam has also been his initiative and from 1996 to the present has been a great success where corn is still coming from all over the country every year.
On September 14, 2003, Rudolf Grasman was appointed member of the order of Oranje Nassau at the end of a festive concert at the Grote Kerk in Monnickendam because of his great achievements of all kinds for the music world. Besides being the conductor of the Cantorij Monnickendam, he was also conductor of the choirs Cantando and Groot Noord in Amsterdam and Sonabilé in Apeldoorn. Together with these four choirs he performed the oratorio Messiah by G.F. Handel in 2003 at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam on the occasion of his 40th anniversary as a musician.As a conclusion of his musical career in 2008, this oratorio was performed for the second time with these choirs, again at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. |
