Born: February 1, 1936 - Semarang, Java, Indonesia (the former Dutch East Indies)

The admired Dutch bass-baritone, Max (Rudolf) van Egmond, studied with Tone van Willingen de Lorme. He compled his schooling and musical education in Holland after the war. He became a member of the Nederlandse Bachvereniging (Dutch Bach Society) at the age of eighteen. In 1959 (three years after his friend and compatriot, Elly Ameling) he became one of the prizewinners at the 's-Hertogenbosch Vocal competition. He took prizes also in Brussels (1959) and Munich (1964) competitions.

Those prizes marked the beginning of his full-time distinguished career as a singer of oratorio, lieder and baroque opera. Max van Egmond achieved his greatest fame as an interpreter of J. S. Bach's cantatas, masses and passions and from 1965 participated in complete recordings and performances of these masterpieces with conductors Gustav Leonhardt, Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Frans Brüggen. (Teldec, Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, Seon). One of Holland's most beloved artists, he has received numerous awards and honors including a special decoration from Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands for his decades of service to Dutch musical life. His forty-year career has taken him throughout Europe, Canada, the USA, Israel and Asia.

For many years a professor at Amsterdam's Sweelinck Conservatory, Max van Egmond continues to give masterclasses throughout the world, and returns every year to Mateus, Portugal, and, in this country, to the Baroque Performance Institute at Oberlin, Ohio. His recent recordings with the Belgian-based Ricercar Consort have explored the extensive seventeenth-century German cantata repertory in a highly successful ongoing series of recordings (Deutsche Barock Kantaten - Ricercar).

In recent years, Max van Egmond has concentrated on performing lieder and French art songs, and has produced highly acclaimed recordings (with the Belgian pianist, Jos van Immerseel) of Schubert's Winterreise and chansons of Gabriel Fauré (Channel Classics). His concerts, recordings and many prominent students all provide eloquent testimony not only to his expertise in all areas of the vocal repertoire, but also to his great kindness and humanity in the service of music.

More Photos

Source: Mostly from J.S. Bach Kirchenmusik Festival Website
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (April 2001)

Max van Egmond: Short Biography | General Discussions

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Under his name

Bass

BWV 203

Claudio Abbado

Bass

BWV 244

Frans Brüggen

Bass

BWV 56, BWV 82

Thomas Folan

Bass

BWV 45, BWV 62, BWV 140, BWV 192, BWV 233-236

Nikolaus Harnoncourt

Bass

BWV 1, BWV 2, BWV 3, BWV 4, BWV 5, BWV 6, BWV 11, BWV 17, BWV 18, BWV 19, BWV 20, BWV 24, BWV 25, BWV 29, BWV 30, BWV 83, BWV 197, BWV 211, BWV 212
BWV 232, BWV 244, BWV 245

Jürgen Jürgens

Bass

BWV 198

Sigiswald Kuijken

Bass

BWV 245

Gustav Leonhardt

Bass

BWV 7, BWV 8, BWV 9, BWV 10, BWV 12, BWV 13, BWV 14, BWV 16, BWV 22, BWV 32, BWV 33, BWV 39, BWV 40, BWV 66, BWV 67, BWV 73, BWV 74, BWV 75, BWV 77, BWV 79, BWV 88, BWV 89, BWV 90, BWV 91, BWV 92, BWV 98, BWV 100, BWV 103, BWV 106, BWV 107, BWV 113, BWV 114, BWV 117, BWV 127, BWV 128, BWV 129, BWV 132, BWV 133, BWV 135, BWV 143, BWV 149, BWV 150, BWV 151, BWV 157, BWV 158, BWV 159, BWV 164, BWV 165, BWV 166, BWV 172, BWV 175, BWV 176, BWV 180, BWV 181, BWV 184, BWV 187, BWV 201
BWV 232, BWV 244

Johan van der Meer

Bass

BWV 232, BWV 244, BWV 245

Ricercar Consort

Bass

BWV 4, BWV 38, BWV 82, BWV 106, BWV 131, BWV 152, BWV 182

Jaap Schröder

Bass

BWV 27, BWV 59, BWV 89, BWV 90, BWV 158

Julian Wachner & Peter Watchorn

Bass

BWV 248

Charles de Wolff

Bass

BWV 244, BWV 245

Links to other Sites

Bach Festival: Soloists and Organists
Max van Egmond (Dutch Divas)

Max van Egmond (Official Website) [Dutch/English]

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