Jan van Zelm

Jan van Zelm studied piano at the Music Pedagogical Academy in Alkmaar and singing with Kevin Smith at the then Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam. He is a professional singer in the Groot Omroepkoor, one of the ensembles of the Stichting Omroep Muziek. Besides his work as a singer he was for many years principal study teacher in classical singing at the Prince Claus Conservatoire in Groningen and stage coordinator of the Groot Omroepkoor.

Van Zelm regularly gives workshops to choirs throughout the Netherlands. Recurring subjects are: resonance, breathing, text declamation, expression and musical eloquence, especially for choral singers. An important principle here is: when choristers sing on the basis of an individual love of music and text, a homogeneous sound and close-knit music-making emerge.

In recent years, Jan van Zelm has become involved in performing music theatre projects with secondary school pupils. With the pupils of the Murmellius Gymnasium in Alkmaar, he performed adaptations of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', 'Sheherazade' and 'The Odyssey', for which he also wrote the music.

Watch and listen below to the item www.kunstnet.tv made about Jan van Zelm.

Singer, composer and conductor Jan van Zelm

From the series 'View on Art' a portrait of singer, composer and conductor Jan van Zelm from Alkmaar. In this episode of KunstNetTV, the viewer sees how he does his vocal exercises, explains how a composition comes about and how he rehearses a piece of music for the Groot Omroepkoor. There are shots of the dress rehearsal of his composition Stabat Mater by project choir Dieci Cantanti in the beautiful church De Terp in Oudorp and a fragment of the final chorus 'Wir setzen uns mit tränen nieder' from the Matthäus Passion by the Groot Omroepkoor in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw.

http://www.kunstnet.tv/ZangerJanvanZelm.htm

www.kunstnet.tv makes film productions about art and culture in Alkmaar and the region.