Leo van Doeselaar

Leo van Doeselaar studied organ with Albert de Klerk and piano with Jan Wijn at the Amsterdam Conservatory. Next to receiving his soloist’s diploma in both instruments, he was rewarded the Prix d’Excellence for organ. After that, he explored historical performance practice, studying French organ music with André Isoir and taking fortepiano lessons with Malcolm Bilson and Jos van Immerseel.

Leo van Doeselaar frequently appears at concert venues throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States. Between 1995 and 2019, he was a professor of organ at the Berlin University of the Arts. He also teaches frequently in international organ academies, including the International Organ Academy in Haarlem, and is a regular jury member of international organ competitions.

Together with Wyneke Jordans, Leo van Doeselaar has made numerous recordings featuring the piano duet repertoire by composers such as Schubert, Beethoven, Dvořák, Ravel, Stravinsky, and Satie. Furthermore, he has recorded numerous CDs on historical organs featuring the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, Handel, Van Noordt, Krebs, Mendelssohn, Franck, Liszt, and Reger.

As organist of the Baroque orchestra of the Netherlands Bach Society, Van Doeselaar is intensively involved in the prestigious “All of Bach” video and audio project. As titular organist of the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, he frequently appears with renowned orchestras, ensembles, and soloists. Together with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, he has performed world premieres of works for organ and orchestra by Tristan Keuris, Sofia Gubaidulina, and Wolfgang Rihm. He has also worked as an organ soloist with conductors such as Riccardo Chailly, Mariss Jansons, David Zinman, Charles Dutoit, Claus Peter Flor, Ernest Bour, Emmanuel Krivine, Fabio Luisi, and Ingo Metzmacher.

The recording of the complete keyboard works of Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, in which Van Doeselaar collaborated as organist of the Van Hagerbeer organ in the Pieterskerk in Leiden, was awarded an Edison and the German Record Critics’ Award. His CD featuring organ works by Heinrich Scheidemann (MDG) on the same instrument was honored with both the German Record Critics' Award and the OPUS Klassik Prize. In the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam, he was awarded the Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck Prize
in 2007 for his services to organ culture. With Erwin Wiersinga, Leo van Doeselaar was
appointed titular organist of the Martinikerk in Groningen in 2014.

Picture: Claudia Hansen

The artist's homepage:

https://www.leovandoeselaar.com