Wouter van Belle
- Studies
Wouter van Belle studied the piano and the organ at the 'Netherlands Institute of Catholic Church Music' (NIKK) in Utrecht, with Rinus Groot and Kees de Wijs. He rounded off his piano studies at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam, with Daniëlle Dechenne. After that he trained his proficiency in various specific organ performance-styles with Jacques van Oortmerssen and Albert de Klerk. More recently he studied the historic forte-piano with Bart van Oort.
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Cathedral Organist
In 1985 Wouter van Belle was appointed headorganist of the Roman-Catholic St Catherine's Cathedral in Utrecht. There he made a successfull effort to get the romantic organ - built by Maarschalkerweerd in 1902 – beautifully restaured in 1996. He made several radio- and cd-recordings on this and other instruments throughout Holland, and was involved in new recordings in former Eastern-Germany in October 2000.
His solo-repertoire concentrates on 19th and 20th century music, with special attention to the works of Dutch composers in this period, and to the work of his famous predecessors in the Utrecht Cathedral Hendrik Andriessen and Herman Strategier.
- Accompanist
For over 12 years Wouter van Belle was the regular répétiteur and accompanist of the 'Hoofdstadkoor' in Amsterdam. From 1988 he has held the same position for the 'Toonkunstkoor' in Utrecht and the 'Residentie Bachkoor' in The Hague.
Wouter van Belle is much in demand as accompanist, on the organ or the piano, to a number of vocal and instrumental soloists. Recently he finished the recording of a cd with transcriptions made by himself for the combinations of organ and clarinet and organ and horn.
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