About
The Musician
Vincent’s active role as promoter of his instrument is multi-faceted. He continues to explore the fascinating possibilities of this relatively young instrument by translating sometimes very complex classical and contemporary pieces.
Through personal contact with composers and via commissions, Vincent regularly adds new compositions to the repertoire.
In collaborations with orchestras he takes on the role of soloist, and in playing chamber music he finds a surprising connection with the human voice and other instruments.
As the organizer of the international Van Amsterdam Summer Course, Vincent shares his love and expertise with fellow teachers, conservatory students, and other talented accordion students.
Vincent developed his versatility in sound and repertoire together with teachers from various sectors in The Netherlands and abroad, as well as in masterclasses. He was the winner of many national and international competitions. Vincent plays on all major stages and classical music festivals in the Netherlands. Concert tours have taken him to France, Italy, Austria, Serbia, Greece, Greenland, Indonesia, Hong Kong and China, among other countries. Scroll down for a brief overview of his CV.
Saint-Saëns – Prière
With cellist Quirine Viersen. Dutch television broadcast, Podium Klassiek on 12 March 2023.
Semionov – Don Rapsody, Finale
Performance at the NOVAM Anniversary Concert, 3 November 2018 in De Vereeniging Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Bach – French Suite No.5, Allemande & Gigue
In a translation by Vincent van Amsterdam. Performed as part of the finale of Dutch Classical Talent 2016, winning both its Award and its Audience prize.
Wagner – Vorspiel und Liebestod from Tristan & Isolde
With Dudok Quartet. An arrangement for string quartet and accordion by Max Knigge.
Willem Jeths – Accordion Concerto
With the Nederlands Kamerorkest under the direction of Jan Wierzba. Live recording, 2 May 2019 in Muziekgebouw Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
The Repertoire
Music “in translation”
With early, baroque, and romantic music (a period from 1500 to 1900), Vincent embraces a well-known and beloved repertoire, in which he does complete justice to the melody and polyphony. He also offers new insights in his translations of pieces intended for larger ensembles, often explicitly virtuoso in sound and presentation. He makes knowledge of the historically informed manner of playing a part of his music-making. In his translations, Vincent strives for a purity that leaves the original intact.
Composed for the instrument
Vincent likes to be inspired by compositions that transcend the instrument, so that pure music is the center of attention. The neo-romantic Kammersuite by Vladislav Zolotarjov, the minimal music-inspired suite Impasse by Franck Angelis and the eclectic Et Expecto by Sofia Gubaidulina are good examples of this. Vincent has had several pieces composed for him: Tombeau pour Ton de Leeuw by Daan Manneke, The Old man and the Sea by Aart Strootman, Trembling Music by Maxim Shalygin and Aardverschuivingen by Bianca Bongers, among others.
In 2023, the Kwintet voor strijkkwartet en accordeon, composed by Christiaan Richter and dedicated to Vincent, will be premiered, as well as a sextet for string quintet and accordion by Willem van Merwijk (a.k.a. Guillermo Lago), a composition on the interface of classical, jazz, and tango.
Audiences and symphony orchestras know Vincent also as a soloist. In 2019, he gave the world premiere of Willem Jeths’ Accordion Concerto with the Nederlands Kamerorkest, and has played accordion concertos from Václav Trojan (Prohadka), Ole Schmidt, and Hugo Hermann, among others. He performed Piazzolla’s Aconcagua Concerto with the Nederlands Kamerorkest, the Residentie Orkest, and the Bochumer Symphoniker.
Upcoming concert premieres, written especially for Vincent, are works by Mathilde Wantenaar (with the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra in 2023 and with the Residentie Orkest in 2024) and by Wim Henderickx.
Red, Dark and Blue
This CD consists of highlights from three centuries of music. It is the programme with which Vincent won the Dutch Classical Talent Award 2016.
Listen + Read more
The instrument
The ingenious construction of the almost 200 year old concert accordion comprises approximately 10,000 parts. The instrument has a large dynamic range and can make a wealth of orchestra sounds, enhanced by its “stereo character.” Listen to the clear tone in melody lines, with a malleable timbre like a wind instrument. Vincent’s choices in registration and the use of bellows techniques for the air supply create essential characteristic differences with the accordion known from the popular repertoire.
The versatility of the accordion and Vincent’s chameleon-like qualities are also apparent in combination with other instruments. Together with Quirine Viersen’s cello, the lyricism in Saint-Saëns, Stravinsky, and Pärt can be heard. In Mahler’s orchestral songs, the accordion breathes as a “one man orchestra” together with the voice of Esther Kuiper. In the ensemble Astori Amsterdam, the accordion has various roles: sometimes as piano, then again as bandoneon.
Ensembles
Quirine Viersen
Astori Amsterdam
Van Amsterdam Duo
Esther Kuiper
Luna Quartet
Curriculum Vitae
Vincent is a former Master’s teacher at the Fontys School of Fine and Performing Arts, Tilburg, and is affiliated with the sector organization NOVAM (Dutch Organization for Accordion and Harmonica). Vincent plays on a Bugari Prime3 accordion.
Download biography and cv.
