Biography

„Early Music has not only a value from a conservational and historical point of view, but has now-a-days also a huge social and pedagogical relevance. After all she is the language of our collective European history. This reason alone gives her a very important function in the understanding of the presence. I believe, that one only knows who one is, when one knows where he or she is coming from...” Marieke Spaans

Marieke Spaans was born in Amsterdam in 1972 and has played the harpsichord since she was eight years old without having made the ‘detour’ by playing or studying modern piano. Last student of Gustav Leonhardt, in 1997 she received her Concert and Teaching diplomas, after five years of study with this grand master of the harpsichord. Coming from this school of harpsichord playing, the keys to her performances are a refined and dynamic touch, historical awareness and respect for the composer and his intensions. She received important impulses from Lars-Ulrik Mortensen and Jesper Christensen. Besides her harpsichord studies she studied organ and church music with Hans van Nieuwkoop and Wolfgang Zerer. She was granted a scholarship of the “Fonds voor de Podiumkunsten Nederland” to pursue her studies on fortepiano with Arthur Schoonderwoerd.

She was prizewinner at several renowned competitions, in 1997 at the harpsichord competition of NDR Hamburg, in 2000 at the Musica Antiqua Competition of the Flanders Festival in Bruges and at the Competition “Premio Bonporti” in Rovereto.

Marieke Spaans performs in Europe as soloist and as an ensemble musician, performing opera- and oratorio-productions with such conductors as Wieland Kuijken, Paul McCreesh, Nicholas McGegan and Jan Willem de Vriend, as well as partner of the outstanding violinists John Holloway and Anton Steck. Her recording of W.A.Mozart's opus 1 together with Anton Steck received many rewards of the press (f.ex. "an absolute discografical highlight!" – www.klassik.com)

Marieke Spaans is Professor for Historical Keyboard Instruments at the Institute for Early Music of the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Trossingen (Germany). Before her appointment in Germany she taught at the Conservatories of Amsterdam (1994-2000) and Rotterdam (1997-2000). She teaches regularly at courses all over Europe.

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