Coosje

Wijzenbeek

Workshop Day

2024

Biennial Award

During the Dutch Violin Competition in late January, the eight semifinalists of the Davina van Wely Competition were honored with the prestigious “Coosje Wijzenbeek Prize.” This prize was established two years ago as a tribute to the internationally renowned violin teacher Coosje Wijzenbeek, who sadly passed away in 2021. The Dutch Violin Competition (NVC), the Musical Instrument Fund, and the Coosje Wijzenbeek Foundation jointly initiated this biennial award.

Valuable Resources

The purpose of the Coosje Wijzenbeek Prize is to carry on Coosje’s legacy and inspire young violin talents. What makes this prize truly special is that it is awarded to all semifinalists of the biennial Davina van Wely Competition (for 14- to 17-year-olds). Despite their young age, these participants have already demonstrated an exceptional talent for performing classical violin repertoire at a high musical level. Coosje was convinced that competitions for emerging musical talents should prioritize the participants’ personal development during their formative years, rather than focusing exclusively on winning first place. The Coosje Wijzenbeek Prize includes a comprehensive program of workshops and concerts, providing these young talents with valuable resources for their journey toward a professional career as violinists.

Your own imagination

The winners were invited to participate in the “Coosje Wijzenbeek Workshop Day” on April 1, 2024. This event featured three workshops led by renowned experts, each of whom shared their expertise in various essential fields with the participants.

The first workshop was a master class titled “Your Own Imagination” with the well-known actor and director René van Zinnicq Bergmann. René, who comes from a theater background, demonstrated to the participants that violinists, just like actors, also tell a story. He showed the participants how to play with this story and how it can help improve their performance and concentration.

Personal instructor and style

After a delicious lunch, the young participants engaged in a discussion with the renowned violinist Rosanne Philippens during the masterclass “Your Own Teacher.” Rosanne, who herself made the decision to become a soloist, discussed with the young musicians what it takes to become a professional violinist. The conversation was so engaging that it continued during the tea break.

The third workshop was physically quite demanding. This Baroque dance workshop, titled “Discover Your Own Style,” was taught with great enthusiasm and passion by Rachel Farr. Participants noted that this master class proved that dances that seem simple are anything but!

The day concluded with a brief presentation by the participants to their parents and the organizers, followed by a toast to a successful day!

Theory in Practice

Soon, the participants will have the opportunity to put what they’ve learned into practice. The Musical Instrument Fund is offering the winners a large stage with a big audience on which to perform. This involves contributing to the program of lunch concerts organized by the Musical Instrument Fund at the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, as well as a concert at our Presentation Festival on September 21, 2024.

In addition, an expert (a renowned “stage veteran”) will be invited to provide feedback after the concert on how the artists come across to the audience; this feedback will be something they can actually put to use. Of course, the learning objectives will be agreed upon in advance, and valuable tips will be shared beforehand.

© Photography: Veerle Bastiaanssen