Vincent van Gelder

 Vincent van Gelder
Biography

Vincent van Gelder was born in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.  After studying at a local music school, he was admitted to the Conservatory of Hogeschool Enschede.  From 1995 till 1997, he studied at the Latvian Academy of Music in Riga, Latvia.  His teachers there were Theofils Bikis, and Arnis Zandmanis.  Vincent holds BM and MM degrees from the Conservatory of Hogeschool Enschede and MM in performance from the Southern Illinois University at Carbondale where his teacher was Wilfred Delphin, and where he graduated in 1999.  In 2003 he graduated with a DMA in piano performance from the University of Missouri at Kansas City where he studied with Richard Cass.  He also studied with Czerny-Stefanska during the Chopin master classes in Duszniky, Poland, and with Leslie Howard during Liszt master classes in Utrecht, The Netherlands.

He is the top prizewinner in the 2011 Liszt-Garrison International Piano Competition where he also received an award for the best performance of a work by an american composer. In 2007, Vincent van Gelder was declared a winner in the "Artist International Competition" in New York.  As a result he performed a solo recital in Carnegie Weill recital Hall, on May 11, 2008.    The critic for the New York Concert Review wrote about this concert: “Dr. Van Gelder is a formidably equipped, no-nonsense virtuoso and his diversified program of music…. commenced in an unfrivolous, honest and un-egocentric manner.  Dr. Van Gelder’s interpretative and temperamental style is remarkably redolent of what I would have expected from a stereotypical “Dutchman”. In fact his playing at this concert made me recall Cor De Groot, a splendid artist whose Philips LP recordings gave me much pleasure”.
In January 2000, Vincent van Gelder won the Concerto/Aria Competition and appeared as a soloist with the UMKC Conservatory Orchestra performing Liszt’s Totentanz.
He is the Winner of 1999 St. Louis Artist Presentation Society Auditions.  The St. Louis Post wrote about his performances of the Chopin Ballades:  “He brought out the different layers with the precision of a brain surgeon”.  Also in 1999, he was a soloist with the Southern Illinois University Symphony Orchestra, performing Prokofiev’s 2nd Piano Concerto. Dr. van Gelder has played recitals in The Netherlands, Germany, Latvia, and in many states in the US, including a full Liszt recital on one of Liszt’s own pianos at the Spencer Art Museum in Lawrence, Kansas.

Awards include: Grant from the Greensboro Arts Council for Vincent’s 2nd CD.  Grant for recording the complete solo piano works of Maurice Ravel, together with his wife, Inara Zandmane.  Grant from the Tranby Foundation, for the making of a demo CD.  McDill Memorial Scholarship.  Awards from the Rotary Club (The Netherlands), Royal Dutch Association of Musicians, VSB, and Tempus.

Vincent van Gelder currently lives in Greensboro, North Carolina.  He appears frequently as a soloist and with orchestra.  As a chamber player he has performed with Dmitry Sitkovetsky, members from the Ciompi Quartet, and Inara Zandmane. He is a frequent performer on the  “Focus on Piano Literature Conference” at UNCG.  Next to his regular student circle he teaches at UNCG Summer Music Camp, gives occasional master classes, and is a judge in several competitions.  His recordings have been played on radio and tv stations in the US and The Netherlands.

He has been on the piano faculty of Duke University, where he recently performed the world premiere of Bill Robinson’s trio for Piano, Violin, and Cello.  Upcoming performances include the World Premiere of Alejandro Rutty’s 1st Piano Concerto, written for Vincent van Gelder, with Kevin Geraldi, conductor, performances are also scheduled at the Kennedy Center, and in Romania.

Vincent van Gelder started the VINAR Classics label in 2002.

CD’s are available from http://www.CDBaby.com