| Kees Olthuis was born November 28, 1940 in Amsterdam.
Musical education
He studied piano and bassoon at the Sweelinck Conservatory of Music in Amsterdam.
Activities
He plays bassoon in the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and teaches ensemble music at the Sweelinck Conservatory of Music. For more than 20 years he was a member of the Netherlands Wind Ensemble and the Amsterdam Nonet. Kees Olthuis is also composer.
Compositions
In addition to a significant body of chamber music Olthuis has composed numerous works for symphony orchestra, including Jour de fête (1986) and the symphonic poem Theseusfantasie (1984) for the Royal Concertgebouw Orchetsra, on a special commission from Bernard Haitink. He has also written two Serenades for string orchestra and various choral works. Olthuis' strong affinity for the theatre has resulted in three operas: De Gans (text: J.P. Franssens, 1982), performed by De Nederlandse Operastichting, François Guyon (1995) and De naam van de maan on a commission from Het Muziektheater in Amsterdam, set to a libretto by Annie M.G. Schmidt (1988). Capriccio (2000) was commissioned by the Residentie Orkest and is was not only performed in the Netherlands but also on a tour in Japan under conductor Jaap van Zweden. |
