Ed Spanjaard

A fixture of the Dutch classical music world who has performed for multiple members of the nation's royal family, Ed Spanjaard has secured his position as The Netherlands' most celebrated conductor. He is known for his tenure as the principal conductor of the Nieuw Ensemble and the Limburgs Symphony Orchestra, having taken up the baton for ensembles throughout the country, including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Netherlands Chamber Choir. Born in Haarlem in 1948, music was a fixture of Spanjaard's upbringing: his mother was a music teacher who played flute, and his psychiatrist father was fond of playing piano in his free time. Spanjaard studied at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and, later, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. While in England, he served as an accompanist for the Royal Opera Covent Garden; opera became his primary passion from then on, spurring appearances at festivals throughout Europe. In 1978, he conducted a performance of Mozart's Così fan tutte with the London Philharmonic at the Glyndebourne Festival. He served as an assistant conductor to giants of the form, including Herbert von Karajan (at the 1980 and 1981 Salzburg Festivals) and Sir Georg Solti (leading a production of Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen at the 1983 Bayreuth Festival). By then, Spanjaard was leading ensembles at home and beyond opera, including the pioneering Nieuw Ensemble from 1982 to its end in 2019. He also served as principal guest conductor of the Limburgs Symphony Orchestra from 1982 to 1988, assuming the role of chief conductor in 2001. With these ensembles, his repertoire expanded beyond operas, particularly with regard to contemporary classical composers, not only across Europe but notably throughout China, as well. His status and regard among his countrymen was confirmed with a selection of Mahler compositions performed with the Israel Philharmonic during a 1995 state visit by Queen Beatrix, as well as handling musical accompaniment for the 2002 wedding of Prince Willem-Alexander (who succeeded Beatrix as king of the country) and his wife Máxima. ~ Mike Duquette, Rovi