Peter Dijkstra
Conductor Peter Dijkstra, born in the Netherlands in 1978, began singing as a boy in the Roder Jongenskoor, performing most of the solo-parts until his voice changed. He also appeared numerous times as boy soloists in various operas as in Mozarts Magic Flute at the Amsterdams Opera. He studied choral conducting, orchestral conducting and voice at the conservatories of The Hague, Koln and Stockholm, and graduated summa cum laude with decoration. Furthermore he followed masterclasses with leading choral conductors like Tonu Kaljuste and Eric Ericsson. In 2002 he was awarded the Kersjes-van de Groenekamprize for young orchestral conductors and the winning of the first prize at the Eric Ericson Competition 2003 in Stockholm launched his international career. Since September 2005 is Peter Dijkstra artistic director of the Choir of the Bavarian Radio in Munich. There he co-operates with conductors such as Mariss Jansons, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Riccardo Muti and Claudio Abbado but also conducts many Choir-Symphonic concerts next to his main series of acapella concerts. Already two years later In September 2007, Peter Dijkstra was also appointed as artistic director of the Swedish Radio Choir. Currently, Dijkstra is regularly invited to conduct all major choirs such as the Netherlands Chamber Choir, BBC singers, RIAS Chamber Choir Berlin, Collegium Vocale Gent, Danish National Choir, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Radio Choir of Berlin and the Netherlands Radio Choir. With these fine ensembles he performs a broad repertoire, from early music to premiers of newly composed works. Alongside Choir conducting, Peter Dijktsra quickly became a well sought after guest conductor with many leading orchestras such as the Munich Radio Orchestra, Munich Symphony Orchestra, DSO Berlin, Gvle Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, the North Netherlands Philharmonic, The Reseidentie Orchestra of The Hague, The Bochum Symphonic Orchestra etc. Peter Dijkstra has also recently conducted the World Youth Choir on their African Tour in 2007 and is regularly invited to give and initiate matserclasses and projects to promote choir singing and conducting on the highest possible level. In the Netherlands, Peter Dijkstra is the first guest conductor of the Nederlands Kamerkoor, artistic leader of vocal ensemble MUSA (www.musa.nu), a mixed choir based in Utrecht, and vocal ensemble The Gents in Holland (www.thegents.nl). With this all-male ensemble he won many prizes on international festivals and toured in Japan, Spain, Sweden and Great-Britain. They made 4 recordings for the label Channel Classics: The Gentlemen of the Chapel Royal (CCS 18998), Follow that Star (CCS SA 20403), Lux aeterna (CCS SA 22405) en In Love (CCS SA 23106).
