New director for Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century

Kate Rockett becomes the new general director of the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century. Last Saturday she was introduced to the orchestra by the current director Sieuwert Verster.

Kate Rockett studied trombone at the Royal Academy of Music, London, followed by a specialization in historical performance practice at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, followed by a research master’s degree in musicology at the Open University. She has performed around the world with orchestras and ensembles, including Freiburger Barockorchester, The Gabrieli Consort, B’Rock Orchestra, and Concerto Köln. Ten years ago she made the switch to cultural management. For the past six years she worked at the classical record label Pentatone as Artist & Repertoire Manager and Executive Producer. Partly because of her freelance and consultancy work for other organizations, including LUDWIG and the Performing Arts Fund, Kate has a broad view of the cultural sector.

As of 1st September 2022, the current director Sieuwert Verster will step down after 40 years and dedicate himself to his record label Attacca for contemporary Dutch music and making documentaries.

Kate Rockett: “Since its founding more than forty years ago by Frans Brüggen, the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century has been a highly respected pioneer in historical performance practice and has inspired many other ensembles, both in the Netherlands and abroad. Sieuwert Verster has always stood at the helm; an exceptional track record and a challenge for me to succeed him. The orchestra is a very international collective of passionate and committed musicians. I am delighted to have the opportunity to play the next chapter in the history of to shape the orchestra.”     14th February 2022