Arjan Blanken (Tenor)

Born: 1924 - Holland

The Dutch tenor, Arjan Blanken, is a graduate of the Amsterdam Conservatoire.

Blanken made his debut in 1954 in the Grote Kerk at Edam. He first appeared as oratorio- and lieder-singer. He made his opera-debut as Fenton (Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor by Otto Nicolai) at the Zuid-Nederlandse Opera in 1957. He performed as lyric tenor opera-roles as Belmonte (Die Entführung aus dem Serail by Mozart), Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni by Mozart), count Almaviva (Il barbiere di Siviglia by Rossini), Baron Kronthal (Der Wildschütz by Lortzing), a.o. The last mentioned opera had at the performance on June, 4 1958 as cast a.o. Erna Spoorenberg as Baronin Freimann, Guus Hoekman as Baculus and Aafje Heijnis as Nanette.

Blanken has made concert tours to South Africa, the Far East and Near East and European countries, and he is known in Holland through interpretations of liturgical and operatic interpretations. He sang in the first performance in Israel of J.S. Bach’s Johannes-Passion (BWV 245) and Matthäus-Passion (BWV 244) and George Frideric Handel’s Messiah at the Original Abu-Gosh Music Festival.

Source: Programme notes to concert of Israel Chamber Ensemble (1977); Dutch Divas Website
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (May 2001)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Anthon van der Horst

Tenor

BWV 244

Sigi Stadermann

Tenor

Excerpts from BWV 244

Links to other Sites

Arjan Blanken - tenor (Dutch Divas) [Dutch/English]