The Recorder is Alive & Kicking

Erik Bosgraaf wins the Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award 2009

The recorder has never been my favorite instrument. Not that I never listened to recorder concerts: I have reviewed Utrecht's 'Early Music Festival’ for years and heard many impressive concerts. But my ears just never perked up when I heard the recorder. Needless to say, I have no recorder cds.

This changed dramatically when I recently heard a short recital in the fairy-tale-like Bethanien Monestry in the heart of Amsterdam by Erik Bosgraaf.

I almost forgot about it this concert until I read the news this morning that Erik is one of the two winners of the Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award 2009. Quite an achievement, with this tough professional jury and many other talented candidates.

Nice for Erik to win this prestigious young musician award and to add £ 20.000 to his bank account - even though, being a great talent, he is born for success anyway.

As a true musician of the 21st Century Erik Bosgraaf understands that music is much more than only a good concert. He understands that the contemporary music fan is looking for special events: music to watch, music to experience, music for fun. And for this a recorder is – I must admit - a perfect instrument. Bosgraaf plays the full range of recorders from a tiny sopranino to a massive tree trunk. He runs from one corner of the venue to the other, grabs his instruments on his way, jumps towards his fellow musicians or accompanists, playing his heart out when reading his 2 meters wide score hang on the wall of an Amsterdam church.

Have a look at his site to see the unbelievable list of performances: from solo with the Dallas Symphony to performances at the Barcelona Early Music Festival to the charming Castle concerts in the middle-of-nowhere Ammerzoden in Holland (Night watch program).

For a preview on the masterly playing of Erik Bosgraafs see my YouTube artist of the week below my blog page and the one I selected here (no theatre performance but just excellent playing on Dutch Television):


I wonder why am I writing this post about the recorder? Do I suddenly like the recorder? Actually, it’s the incredible myth of a great musician that does not allow you to step away from his playing: what a great talent.

NB: quote from the jury report: “Hailed as one of the most gifted and versatile recorder players of his generation, Erik Bosgraaf has a colourful past in a rock band and as an oboe player. He believes that good music is irrespective of style and feels equally at home in early and contemporary music…. His début recording, a 3-CD box with music by Dutch composer Jacob van Eyck, was No 1 in the Dutch classical music charts in 2007.”