The Academy of Vocal Arts will stream live Bach’s Johannes Passion from the Nieuwe Kerk in The Hague on 26th June. Conductor Daniëlle van Lieshout completes her graduation with this performance and joins the mini-company of conductors who conducted one of Bach’s Passions before her 25th birthday. The singing school in The Hague puts very young talent next to seasoned top singers in an ear-pleasing performance of Bach’s masterpiece. The stream can be viewed in a recording that gives the viewer the opportunity to look around the church through the 360-degree camera. DKO Baroque provides the guidance.
Ava and Ilva, both 10 years old, are quite nervous to sing the complete St John Passion. Not least because a lot of preparation had to be completely online. Fortunately, they were able to “really” rehearse from the beginning of May. On 26th June they will sing alongside soprano Lauren Armishaw, alto Stefan Görgner, tenor Stephan Adriaens and baritone Tobias Berndt; all singers who have earned their spurs in the international music world. Young talent will also perform as a soloist, such as Julius, who will play the roles of Pilate and Peter at the age of fourteen. They are all conducted by 24-year-old Daniëlle van Lieshout, director of the Academy of Vocal Arts since 2019 and conductor of the First Year Choir at the Conservatory of Rotterdam.
Daniëlle is the actual reason for the passion concert in June. “Actually, this all should have happened just before Easter 2021, but corona threw a spanner in the works. The St John Passion is my graduation project and I couldn’t wait another year before graduating, so a Passion in June!’ With this performance she joins a small Dutch company that conducted a Passion by Bach at this young age. Except for Peter Dijkstra, conductor of the Nederlands Kamerkoor since 2015, passion conductors are usually considerably older.
Tickets for the Johannes Passion can be purchased via the website www.acva.nl and cost only €8.
