Renate van Riel
violin
Through my older sister, who played the violin, I was introduced to the instrument and quickly realized that I wanted to master it: I wanted to become a violinist.
To receive a well-rounded education, I studied at the conservatories in Utrecht and Amsterdam with Keiko Wataya, Philipp Hirschhorn, Viktor Liberman, and István Párkányi. This allowed me to gain in-depth exposure to various playing styles and musical approaches.
In addition, I took masterclasses with Charles-André Linale, Philipp Hirschhorn, Viktor Liberman, and Stephan Picard.
During my studies, I was a member of the following ensembles, among others: the Amersfoort Youth Orchestra (as concertmaster and soloist), the National Youth Orchestra (2nd leader of the second violins), the Mahler Youth Orchestra, the European Union Youth Orchestra, and the Chamber Orchestra of the European Union Youth Orchestra.
I served as a substitute with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Gelders Orchestra.
Each and every one of these was a wonderful experience, and it felt as though my violin, too, truly enjoyed making music together.
During my studies, following my participation in the Oskar Back Competition, I was loaned a beautiful Testore by the Oskar Back Fund. As the first player to use it after a long period of inactivity, I was able to rediscover the violin from scratch and, as it were, bring it back to life. I immediately felt a connection and an inexplicable bond.
The fact that it responds quickly, offers a wide range of timbres, and feels comfortable in my hands is a wonderful combination.
During my final year of study (1997), I became a permanent member of the Radio Symphony Orchestra. Two years later, I auditioned for the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, where I have remained a permanent member to this day.
After graduating, I had to return the Testore.
To my surprise, the Musical Instrument Fund made the beautiful Pique (which was formerly played by Theo Olof) available to me.
In 2015, the Testore unexpectedly returned to my life. After a period during which the Musical Instrument Fund gave me the freedom to thoroughly compare both instruments, I chose the Testore once again. My love for the instrument had by no means faded.
Together with my colleague Esther de Bruijn, I form a violin duo with which I perform primarily at house concerts and concerts that bring together various art forms.
I also perform a wide range of chamber music repertoire with various musicians.
In addition, I earned degrees in Event Management and Communication.
