July | August
INTERNATIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL FOR SINGERS
2008
Hein BOTERBERG studied piano with Johan Duijck at the Royal Conservatoire of Music in his native town Ghent, in Belgium. He graduated with high distinction and was given five first prizes in academic studies. By that time, he played for singers in masterclasses and competitions such as the Queen Elisabeth Competition of Belgium and the Marmande Singing Contest in France.
He received bursaries and postgraduate diplomas in vocal accompaniment at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music in Glasgow and the Guildhall School of Music in London. In Glasgow he was awarded the James Geddes Prize for repetiteurs. Among his teachers were Graham Johnson, Eugene Asti and Timothy Dean. He participated in masterclasses given by Martin Katz, Helmut Deutsch, Roger Vignoles and Rudolf Jansen. He has also been the holder of the Geoffrey Parsons Junior Fellowship at the Royal College of Music in London.
Hein has been accompanist for several singing masterclasses and courses given by Robin Bowman, Sir Thomas Allen, Laura Sarti, Nancy Argenta and Emma Kirkby in the UK and France, and Sheila Amit in Italy. Recently, he accompanied masterclasses of Dame Margaret Price and Graham Johnson at the Flemish Opera Studio.
In song recitals, he appeared amongst others in the National Concert Hall in Dublin, the Palais des Beaux-Arts and the Théâtre des Martyrs in Brussels, the Vlaamse Opera in Ghent and Antwerp and the Purcell Room, Barbican Hall and Leighton House in London. Recent performances include a musical homage to José Van Dam and a Finzi recital for Finzi's family. In May 2005 he made his début at the Wigmore Hall, London, with singers Jonathan Lemalu, Baritone, and Sandra Martinovic, soprano. He also accompanied them on BBC Radio 3 prograzmme “In Tune”.
He worked at the Royal Opera House La Monnaie in Belgium with Antonio Pappano, current director at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden. He also played and assisted for productions with conductors such as Kazushi Ono, Alessandro De Marchi and Renato Balsadonna.
Since October 2004 he is vocal music and repertoire coach at the Flemish Opera Studio. Besides his recital work, he plays as a free-lance pianist for the Collegium Vocale and De Filhazrmonie under the conductor, Philippe Herreweghe and for the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and the Royal College of Music in London.
