Soprano Elisabeth Hetherington awarded the Nederlandse Muziekprijs
08 October 2024
On 4 October, the Minister of Education, Culture and Science, Eppo Bruins, presented the Nederlandse Muziekprijs to soprano Elisabeth Hetherington. The award ceremony in Rotterdam’s De Doelen concert hall marked the successful completion of a two-year study programme dedicated to Hetherington’s artistic development.
Since moving from Canada to the Netherlands, where she graduated cum laude at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Elisabeth Hetherington has built a reputation as a versatile performer and interpreter of contemporary and modern repertoire. She works with composers, musicians and choreographers and has played memorable roles with several opera and music theatre companies.
Over the course of the Nederlandse Muziekprijs study programme, Hetherington performed with the Nederlandse Bach Vereniging, the Dudok Quartet, Cello Octet Amsterdam, the Spanish Pérgamo Ensemble and Holland Opera. She furthermore concentrated on performing new compositions, followed conducting lessons with conductor James Gaffigan, and worked on her vocal development with baritone Sinan Vural and soprano instructor Lauren Athey-Janka.
Fusion and contrast
Prior to the award ceremony, Hetherington gave a surprising concert in collaboration with the Flemish B’Rock Orchestra, which provided for a historically informed performance, and with the musicians of HIIIT, performing contemporary percussion. In this concert, Hetherington took the audience on a fascinating musical journey on the theme of mythology, with references to Orpheus and Ariadne. With her voice, Hetherington fused together old and new music.
Concert bears out the Committee’s report
On stage, Hetherington demonstrated for her guests and visitors what the Committee had written so approvingly in its report: "With seemingly effortless suppleness and clarity, she transverses a wide-ranging repertoire of renaissance, baroque, to newly composed music. Elisabeth Hetherington goes from intimate to temperamental, from serene to dynamic, with an astounding naturalness." To read the full committee report, see the PDF file appended to this article.
Comments by Minister of Education, Culture and Science
In his congratulatory address, Minister Bruins expressed his great admiration for the winner of the Nederlandse Muziekprijs: "Elisabeth, your voice is crystal clear, pure, light. I am hugely impressed by the effect of your voice on the ear, heart and soul. Today we not only honour the vocalisations of a tremendous soprano, but honour just as much the skill and effort contained within Elisabeth’s music, and everyone who believed in her and her journey.”
Viktorien van Hulst, director of the Performing Arts Fund NL, also took to the stage to express her praise and admiration for the winner. The evening concluded with a frank speech by Elisabeth Hetherington in which she paid tribute to the rich musical landscape in the Netherlands, and all the room and opportunities it has offered her as an artist. She called on the Minister to cherish this.
About the Nederlandse Muziekprijs
The Nederlandse Muziekprijs is the most prestigious award for a musician working in classical music and is bestowed by the Performing Arts Fund NL on behalf of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. The prize is awarded on the recommendation of a committee, consisting of: Mauricio Fernandez, Ad 's-Gravesande, Marcel Mandos, Simone Meijer (also Hetherington’s mentor in the programme), Bart Visman, Ralph van Raat, and Karin Manuel as independent chair.
Previous winners of the Nederlandse Muziekprijs include the organist Laurens de Man, baritone Raoul Steffani, recorder player Lucie Horsch, mezzo-soprano Jard van Nes, and pianist Ronald Brautigam.
Photo: Karen van Gilst
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