Biography
PPeter Dijkstra is one of the most prominent choir conductors of our time. He studied choir conducting, orchestral conducting and solo singing at the conservatories of The Hague, Cologne and Stockholm and obtained his diplomas summa cum laude with distinction.
After a long period as principal guest conductor, Dijkstra became chief conductor of the Netherlands Chamber Choir in September 2015. In addition, he has been reappointed as artistic director of the Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks since 2022, a position he also held from 2005 to 2016. Under his leadership, this ensemble developed into an internationally acclaimed and versatile vocal ensemble.
From 2007 to 2018, Dijkstra was appointed chief conductor of the Swedish Radio Choir, following in the footsteps of the legendary Eric Ericson. In 2019, he was appointed Honorary Conductor by this renowned choir.
In addition to his work with these ensembles, he is a welcome guest with many renowned professional choirs in Europe, such as the RIAS Kammerchor Berlin, the WDR, MDR and NDR Rundfunkchöre, Accentus, Gulbenkian Choir, SWR Vokalensemble, the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and the BBC Singers. Dijkstra is also a welcome guest with renowned orchestras. He has been guest conductor with, among others, the Symphonieorchester und Rundfunkorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Deutsche Symphonieorchester Berlin, Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Münchener Kammerorchester, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra and in the Netherlands with, among others, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, the Residentie Orchestra and the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition, he regularly collaborates with baroque orchestras such as Concerto Köln, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, B’Rock and Freiburger Barockorchester.
He is widely regarded as a specialist in the field of vocal music, and feels at home in a wide spectrum of musical styles, from medieval polyphony to contemporary music. He has premiered compositions by composers such as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Lera Auerbach, Erik Esenvalds, Joost Kleppe, Jacob Mülrad, Einojuhani Rautavaara, Caroline Shaw, Martin Smolka and JacobTV, and is a passionate advocate for young compositional talent in choral music.
His interpretations of the great oratorios of Mozart, Handel and Bach have been released on CD under the BR Klassik label and have won several awards. He has won two ECHO Klassik awards for Fauré’s Requiem (Sony Classics) and Schnittke’s Choir Concerto (BR Klassik), two Diapason d’Ors for an album with works by Strauss, Wagner and Mahler (BR Klassik) and Poulenc’s Figure humaine (Channel Classics), the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik for his recording of J.S. Bach’s St. John’s Passion and was nominated for two Grammys. The recording with choral works by Anton Bruckner (BR Klassik) was awarded with the International Classical Music Awards. His CD with a capella choral works by Johannes Brahms was awarded an Edison Klassiek. Dijkstra is committed to the young generation of conductors and regularly gives masterclasses, including at the Dirigentenforum des Deutschen Musikrates, the Lund International Conducting Masterclass and the Dirigentenforum des Chores des Bayerischen Rundfunks. In the period 2016-2020, Dijkstra was appointed Professor of Choral Conducting at the Musikhochschule in Cologne, and from October 2023 he is holding this position at the Hochschule für Musik Nürnberg.
With various ensembles, Dijkstra has been a guest at renowned festivals, such as the Salzburger Festspiele, Lucerne Festival, Hong Kong International Music Festival, White Light Festival New York and the Schleswig Holstein Musik Festival. He is an honorary member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, and was awarded the Golden Violin, a prize for internationally established musicians from the Northern Netherlands, and the Eugen Jochum Prize.
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