|
The Dutch soprano, To van der Sluys, is the grand-daughter of the director of the ’Nederlandsche Opera’ of that time and her predilection to the art of singing is completely the her grand fathers nature. The saying “As the tree, so the fruit” applies certain very true to her. She studied singing - after her training at the High School for Girls - with her aunt Caroline van der Linden at Amsterdam, from whom she owes thanks for her full continued music training. In 1923 she succeed for the secondary examination of singing and piano.
To van der Sluys was a soprano with very special qualities, who appeared for the the first time on stage at about the same period as the famous soprano Jo Vincent. Already quickly, she feels affection for the stage and from that time on, she belongs to the most asked soloists in the great concerts, Passion performances and oratorio. Later on she also makes her way to the terrain of opera. With the Concertgebouw Orchestra she performed regularly in the 2nd and 4th Symphonies of Gustav Mahler and in the 9th symphony of L.v. Beethoven, as well as under Willem Mengelberg as Eduard van Beinum. Also abroad, they were highly thought of her as guest. She performed many times in Germany (Berlin, under Wilhelm Furtwängler), Paris, Brussels, Antwerp and Switzerland. At the same time she was part of the ’Hollandsch Vocaal Kwartet’ together with the tenor Louis van Tulder, soprano Mia Peltenburg and the baritone Willem Ravelli. This quartet has known many shapes: a.o. with soprano Jo Vincent, soprano Helene Cals, tenor Evert Miedema, mezzo soprano Theodora Versteegh and nearly always baritone Willem Ravelli. |
