Marjolijn van Roon is a recorder player (soloist diploma UM) and musicologist (graduated with first class honors in the fields of early music and ethnomusicology). She specialized as an educator at the ArtEZ Conservatory (principal subject teacher for recorder, early music performance practice, and research coach for masters’ students) and at music schools in Amsterdam Zuidoost and Zeist (recorder teacher and initiator of the Baroque department).

As a performer, she has given concerts and masterclasses in Europe, the United States, and Japan, exploring the colorful recorder repertoire ranging from early music to contemporary and traditional music through improvisations and experimental arrangements (culminating, for instance, in her CD SILK). Besides performing with the Mirac

Ensemble and other early music groups, she is co-producer and performer in the Collective Novaya Shira under the direction of Shura Lipovsky, a singer of Jewish (Yiddish and Sephardic) repertoire.

Improvisatie

Bach

Kaval

EARLY MUSIC 

My musical journey truly began when I played a 45-rpm record, featuring Frans Brüggen, at 33 rpm to be able to play along. Years later, at the conservatory, I was able to master that 45 rpm tempo under the guidance of my teacher, Marion Verbruggen.

Initially drawn to the therapeutic power of music, I considered becoming a music therapist but soon realized my heart lay in music-making itself.

The musical life that followed led to many wonderful moments, including tours with the Amsterdam Bach Solisten. Performing Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos with these outstanding musicians was a truly festive collaboration.

Andante, BWV 1047. Marjolijn van Roon, recorder, Toon Durville,

oboe, Henk Rubingh, violin, Remko Wildschut, cello, Richard Egarr,

harpsichord (CD, 2000)

For my CD Grace & Gesture (featuring music from early to high Baroque performed by the Mirac Ensemble), I shared insights into the players of the time, their traditions, and their perspectives in the accompanying booklet. (reading: Leesvoer 7).

A. Corelli, Sonata V no. 5. Marjolijn van Roon, recorder,
Malcolm Proud, harpsichord, Maaike Roelofs, cello.

This ultimately led to my thesis Voice and Instrument. (reading: Leesvoer 2).

On the CD SILK, I explored my own arrangements using early techniques, such as diminutions over chansons:

Diminutions on a chanson by Josquin des Prez. Marjolijn van Roon, recorder, Malcolm Proud, positive organ.

Diminutions on a chanson by Orlando di Lasso. Marjolijn van Roon, recorder, Joram Lehmann and Karin Preslmayr, viola da gamba, Amit Tiefenbrunn, violone (CD SILK, 2000).

I designed thematic programs to place early music in a broader context, such as one centered on Queen Christina of Sweden—philosopher, rebel, peace mediator, and patron—performed with the ensemble Les Maximes. (Leesvoer 6a)
With the Mirac Ensemble, I perform Baroque music (including a program around J.S. Bach) and early music fused with music from other cultures.(Leesvoer 6b)

For concert requests, see CONTACT

TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY

My interest in traditional music grew during my studies in (ethno-)musicology. I discovered the interaction between European early music and colonized cultures (e.g., the French Baroque playing of inégale directly related to the swing in New Orleans or La Folia originating from Guatemalan traditional music).
I also explored living traditional music around the Mediterranean, which significantly influenced early European classical music.
Furthermore, I delved into flute traditions from South America, Indonesia, Japan, and China, uncovering connections between different traditions.

Lady Meng Jiang – Marjolijn van Roon, bamboo flute, with Remco
Menting, percussion (2008).

I found exciting parallels between doinas ( in Romanian music and Klezmer) and preludes by composers like Jacques-Martin Hotteterre.

The Vietnamese composer Tôn-Thất Tiết introduced me to Buddhist culture through his work Doi Dziên (quadraphonic) composed for me after I performed his piece Ai Vân II (epitaph for his brother) with Lien van der Vliet, organist/harpsichordist.

Radio recording of Ai Vân 2.

Tôn-Thất Tiết – Ai Vân II (1972). Marjolijn van Roon, bass-recorder, Lien van der Vliet, harpsichord.

The Dutch composer Roderik de Man composed a piece for me (for recorder and tape) to mark my invitation to perform and teach in Japan. Incorporating Japanese musical elements, this piece, Kage, became a significant success and a source of inspiration.
With Kage, Roderik de Man created a composition, which is highly valued bij recorder-players and has been performed many times in the meantime.

Roderik de Man – Kage (2000) Marjolijn van Roon, blokfluit.

I also explored Jewish traditional (klezmer-) music with Shura Lipovsky and her Ensemble Novaya Shira, contributing to the CDs Vaytinke and Malakh. This led to discovering a new sonic world and creating improvisations, as well as exploring the Romanian kaval (see introduction video recording Di Zun and audio recording Doina Oltului above).
Over time, I increasingly embraced improvisation and arrangement (See more examples under IMPROVISATIONS in Audio/Video).

Here is an example of a lesson with students of my former pupils.
See 4 video-fragments of this Masterclass for ‘the students of the students’ at Audio/Video

Moonsbreath – improvisation above an electronic composition of Anke Brouwer and a new theme above Bach Prelude (BWV 847)