Jan Willem de Vriend

Jan Willem de Vriend was artistic director and violinist of the Combattimento Consort Amsterdam, established by himself. This ensemble excelled in known and, more especially, unknown masterpieces of the 17th and 18th century. It starting with their own series in the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, and it also toured around the world.

De Vriend’s great knowledge of and unstoppable enthusiasm for classical music also resulted in the tv series ‘De Vriend and his heroes’ in 2013/14, followed by ‘Music and mechanism’ and ‘Music and power’ in 2015, all in collaboration with HET Symfonieorkest. De Vriend was awarded the Dutch Radio 4 Prize of the year 2012, which is or a musician (or ensemble or institution) who has distinguished himself in bringing classical music to a broad public.

From 2006 up to 2018 de Vriend was chief conductor for “Orkest van het Oosten" (later HET Symfonieorkest) in Enschede, and in 2015 he was appointed as principal conductor at the Residentie Orkest The Hague.

He is currently principal guest conductor for these three orchestras: Orquestra Simfonica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya, Orchestre National de Lille and Stuttgarter Philharmoniker. The years 2020-22 de Vriend is Artist-in-Residence for Stavanger Symphony Orchestra (SSO) and will also record all the Schumann-symphonies with SSO.

He has also visited Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra several times.