Willem van Otterloo
Encyclopedia
Jan Willem van Otterloo (December 27, 1907July 27, 1978) was a Dutch
conductor
, cellist
and composer
.
, Gelderland
, in the Netherlands, the son of William Frederik van Otterloo, a railway inspector, and his wife Anna Catharina Enderlé. He qualified to study medicine at Utrecht University
but switched to studying cello
and composition
at the Amsterdam
Conservatoire. While playing as a cellist in the Utrecht Stedelijk Orkest, he won a composition prize from the Concertgebouw Orchestra
for his Suite No. 3, which he presented in his 1932 conducting debut, also with that orchestra. He held posts with the Utrecht Stedelijk Orkest, before being appointed chief conductor of the Residentie Orkest
in The Hague
(1949–1973).
He spent 11 years in Australia
. From 1967 to 1970 he was chief conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
and in 1971 he was appointed chief conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra
, where he remained until 1978.
Particularly prized for his performances of newer music, he made recordings, mostly for Philips Records
, with Residentie Orkest, Concertgebouworkest, Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony, Orchestre Lamoureux and the Sydney Symphony.
He died in East St Kilda
, Melbourne
in 1978 from injuries suffered in an automobile accident. This occurred not long after his farewell performance with the Sydney Symphony. His body was flown to The Hague for cremation.
His notable students include Graham George
and Miroslav Miletić
.
(1941–1988) http://www.vinylvulture.co.uk/pages/van_otterloo1.htm, who would become a well-known conductor in the Netherlands as well. He and Anette divorced in April 1943, but remarried April 28, 1944. They would have another son and two daughters, but divorced again on September 20, 1954. Ten days later he married Susanne Maria Anna Wildmann with whom he had another daughter. A month after his fourth divorce, he married Carola Gertie Ludewig (born 1945) on 12 August 1970 in Australia.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
, cellist
Llo
Llo is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.-References:*...
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Biography
Van Otterloo was born in WinterswijkWinterswijk
Winterswijk is a municipality and a town in the eastern Netherlands.Winterswijk is a town with a population of some 30,000 in the Achterhoek which lies in the most eastern part of the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. It was also known as Winethereswick, Winriswic or Wenterswic...
, Gelderland
Gelderland
Gelderland is the largest province of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem. The two other major cities, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have more inhabitants. Other major regional centers in Gelderland are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Tiel, Wijchen,...
, in the Netherlands, the son of William Frederik van Otterloo, a railway inspector, and his wife Anna Catharina Enderlé. He qualified to study medicine at Utrecht University
Utrecht University
Utrecht University is a university in Utrecht, Netherlands. It is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands and one of the largest in Europe. Established March 26, 1636, it had an enrollment of 29,082 students in 2008, and employed 8,614 faculty and staff, 570 of which are full professors....
but switched to studying cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
and composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
at the Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
Conservatoire. While playing as a cellist in the Utrecht Stedelijk Orkest, he won a composition prize from the Concertgebouw Orchestra
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is a symphony orchestra of the Netherlands, based at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. In 1988, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands conferred the "Royal" title upon the orchestra...
for his Suite No. 3, which he presented in his 1932 conducting debut, also with that orchestra. He held posts with the Utrecht Stedelijk Orkest, before being appointed chief conductor of the Residentie Orkest
Residentie Orchestra
Het Residentie Orkest is a Dutch orchestra based in The Hague. Its primary venue is the Dr. Anton Philipszaal....
in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
(1949–1973).
He spent 11 years in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. From 1967 to 1970 he was chief conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Melbourne, Australia. It has 100 permanent musicians. Melbourne has the longest continuous history of orchestral music of any Australian city and the MSO is the oldest professional orchestra in Australia...
and in 1971 he was appointed chief conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra , commonly known as the Sydney Symphony, is an Australian symphony orchestra based in Sydney...
, where he remained until 1978.
Particularly prized for his performances of newer music, he made recordings, mostly for Philips Records
Philips Records
Philips Records is a record label that was founded by Dutch electronics company Philips. It was started by "Philips Phonographische Industrie" in 1950. Recordings were made with popular artists of various nationalities and also with classical artists from Germany, France and Holland. Philips also...
, with Residentie Orkest, Concertgebouworkest, Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony, Orchestre Lamoureux and the Sydney Symphony.
He died in East St Kilda
St Kilda East, Victoria
St Kilda East is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km south-east of Melbourne's central business district. It is located within the Local Government Areas of the City of Glen Eira and the City of Port Phillip. At the 2006 Census, it had a population of 12,188.St Kilda East is one...
, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in 1978 from injuries suffered in an automobile accident. This occurred not long after his farewell performance with the Sydney Symphony. His body was flown to The Hague for cremation.
His notable students include Graham George
Graham George
Graham Elias George was a Canadian composer, music theorist, organist, choir conductor, and music educator of English birth. An associate of the Canadian Music Centre, his compositional output consists largely of choral works written in the 20th-century Anglican style. He also wrote three ballets,...
and Miroslav Miletić
Miroslav Miletic
-Education:Born in Sisak, Croatia, Miletić graduated violin from the Zagreb Academy of Music in 1953, in the class of Prof. Stjepan Šulek and I. Pinkava, and chamber music in the class of Antonio Janigro...
.
Personal life
Van Otterloo was married and divorced four times in the Netherlands. He married Elisabeth ter Hoeve on August 1, 1935 (divorce 1938). On April 22, 1941 he married Anette Jacoba Adriana Heukers, with whom in December of that year he had a son, Rogier van OtterlooRogier van Otterloo
Willem Rogier van Otterloo was a Dutch composer and conductor.-Biography:Van Otterloo was the eldest son of the conductor Willem van Otterloo. He composed several soundtracks for Dutch films and in 1980 became conductor of the Metropole Orkest for jazz music in Amsterdam...
(1941–1988) http://www.vinylvulture.co.uk/pages/van_otterloo1.htm, who would become a well-known conductor in the Netherlands as well. He and Anette divorced in April 1943, but remarried April 28, 1944. They would have another son and two daughters, but divorced again on September 20, 1954. Ten days later he married Susanne Maria Anna Wildmann with whom he had another daughter. A month after his fourth divorce, he married Carola Gertie Ludewig (born 1945) on 12 August 1970 in Australia.
Compositions
- Suite (1938)
- Symphoniëtta for 16 Wind Instruments (1943)
- Serenade (1944)
Discography
- Willem Van Otterloo and Residentie Orkest: The Original Recordings 1950-1960. 13 CDs. Challenge Classics, CC 72142
External links
- Willem van Otterloo at the Australian Dictionary of Biography