Jeanita Vriens is the second violinist of the Ragazze Quartet. With its groundbreaking programs, Ragazze has established itself as one of the freshest and most influential voices in classical music.
Jeanita Vriens received her first violin lessons at the age of eight from Olga Overbeek in Houten. In 2001, she began her conservatory studies at the Brabants Conservatory in Tilburg, studying with Chris Duindam. She then studied at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague with Janet Krause, where she completed her bachelor’s degree in June 2008. After a year abroad in Vienna studying with Professor Klaus Maetzl at the University of Music and Performing Arts, she completed her master’s degree under Vera Beths. She took master classes with, among others, Hagai Shaham, Elisabeth Wallfish, Gerhard Schulz, Phillipe Graffin, Isabelle van Keulen, and Mauricio Fuks.
From a young age, Jeanita played extensively in orchestras. She served as concertmaster of the Ajo Youth Symphony Orchestra of the Province of Utrecht and of the VU Orchestra in Amsterdam. She also played for several years in the National Youth Orchestra and the European Union Youth Orchestra. She performed regularly with the Rotterdam Chamber Orchestra, including as concertmaster.
Since 2007, Jeanita has been the second violinist of the Ragazze Quartet. With its high-profile programs, the Ragazze Quartet has established itself as one of the freshest and most influential voices in classical music. Through innovative programs, it collaborates with the most original voices in theater, dance, and literature. With performances that appeal to all the senses, they succeed in winning over audiences to the rich tradition of classical music. In this way, they inspire both seasoned listeners and newcomers to the string quartet repertoire of the past and present.
Ragazze enjoys collaborating with young musicians and theater artists, as well as with leading organizations such as NDT, the Kronos Quartet, Orkater, and the Holland Festival. In addition, the quartet has served as artistic director of the September Me festival in Amersfoort since 2017. Ragazze is a regular artist on the Channel Classics label and has released eight CDs there.
In October 2013, the quartet won the Kersjes van de Groenekan Prize, an award presented annually to an exceptional talent in Dutch chamber music.
In 2017, Ragazze won the Operadagen Rotterdam Award for “...their unique approach to musical theater, their social engagement, and the ease with which they dare to think beyond their traditional field,” according to the jury.
The Ragazze Quartet completed the two-year full-time program at the Dutch String Quartet Academy (NSKA), graduating in August 2011. Afterward, the Ragazze Quartet was coached for a year by Luc Marie Aguera of the French Quatuor Ysaÿe (made possible by the Kersjes Fund).
Jeanita plays a Grancino violin, provided to her by the Musical Instrument Fund. This violin is of inestimable value to her and to the Ragazze Quartet. Thanks to its warm tone, Jeanita blends beautifully with the other three players, yet the violin also has enough “power” to hold its own against the others and, when necessary, take a solo. It’s no coincidence that the middle voices are often singled out for praise in CD reviews of Ragazze.
