Rick Stotijn, Double-Bass

“As a little boy at home, Peter and the Wolf with COE, Sting and Claudio Abbado was the disc that was the most played, my parents had to order a new one as it had too many scratches from taking it everywhere during holidays etc. That same Peter and the Wolf my children listen too now..

The COE was also my guidance and inspiration as a student, the recordings, the videos, I think I watched Harnoncourt rehearsing Beethoven 5 on YouTube at least 500 times.. also reading his books, such as the amazing ‘Musik als Klangrede’, and imagining how incredible it must be to work with him. To be so inspired by vision and knowledge. Not to forget Abbado who added another layer of magic. The DNA of this ensemble shaped by these masters and the craftsmanship of these incredible musicians, this could only be a wild fantasy to imagine making music in this very special family.

I played in EUYO and Enno Senft took the group rehearsals. I remember being super nervous knowing he was the principal of the best chamber orchestra in the world! Years later I was asked to take part in my first project with the COE… a dream come true. I was so happy making music with them in the same flow of incredible energy which I had never felt before. And then there this special COE sound its almost you could see and taste the colors, very addictive.

Shortly after I became a member. Recently I played Brahms with Yannick in Baden Baden with COE again, I think for me personally this was one of the very best projects I’ve ever played.
COE is a way of life, I am super happy to have been part of it and even more happy to come back to it when needed.
Thank you COE!

BIOGRAPHY

Rick Stotijn studied double bass at the Conservatory in Amsterdam with his father Peter Stotijn, and graduated with the highest distinction. He continued studies with Bozo Paradzik at the Hochschule in Freiburg. He won several first prizes at competitions and was awarded the highest accolade to a musician in the Netherlands; the Dutch Music Prize.

Amongst the many solo appearances which followed worldwide, was a Carte Blanche series in the Recital Hall of the Concertgebouw Amsterdam.

Rick Stotijn performs regularly as a soloist with orchestras such as the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Arnhem Philharmonic Orchestra, the Residentie Orkest The Hague, South Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, Toulon Opera Symphony Orchestra, Musica Vitae Sweden and Joensuu Symphony Orchestra.

Rick was principal double bass in the Rundfunk Sinfonie Orchester Berlin and Amsterdam Sinfonietta and is currently principal in the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Mahler Chamber Orchestra. As guest principal, Rick plays regularly in the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and Orchestra Mozart. He is also member of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.

In chamber music, he has worked with Janine Jansen, Christianne Stotijn, Liza Ferschtman, Julius Drake, Cecilia Bernardini, Vilde Frang, Julian Rachlin, Lawrence Power, Tabea Zimmermann, Lars Vogt, Christian Tetzlaff and many others. Rick is a regular guest at festivals such as the Lucerne Festival, Delft Chamber Music Festival and the International Chamber Music Festival in Utrecht.

Rick Stotijn is Professor Double Bass at the Robert Schumann Hochschule Düsseldorf. He performs on a Raffaele & Antonio Gagliano double bass, generously loaned by the National Musical Instrument Foundation.

Soloist and chamber musician

Rick is a tireless promotor of his instrument and its sheer endless possibilities. He has collaborated with and performed world premieres of works by composers such as Louis Andriessen, Michel van der Aa, Jesper Nordin and Ned Rorem. Martijn Padding dedicated a new double bass concerto to Rick in 2016; Reports from the Low Country was first performed at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, with the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by James Gaffigan. In 2018, Rick and violinist Malin Broman premiered Britta Byström’s double concerto Infinite Rooms, with David Afkam conducting the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Rick also championed the works of Giovanni Bottesini, the colourful 19th century composer/double bass player/conductor. Classics Today wondered if this could be ‘the best Bottesini CD ever’.

Turning a different corner – and to the surprise of many – Rick made his instrument dance in works by Piazzolla, Rota and De Falla. ‘Capturing the moods from the romantic to the menacing’, Gramophone wrote about the recording Basso Bailando with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Next Level Classical Music

Classical music from any era is only a part of the music Rick embraces. He is co-founder of the Stockholm Syndrome Ensemble, building programmes around an event, idea or concept. This narrative allows the comparison and contrast of music across all periods and styles – from Purcell to Dylan, from Messiaen to Radiohead.

Together with Bram van Sambeek, he recently founded ORBI. Described as a ‘chamber music rock group’, it combines the improvisatory forces of bassoon, double bass, hammond organ and percussion. Their interpretation of rock and metal music breaks new ground for the individual instruments, as well as pushing the players to their limit.

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