Van Brel tot Bennet

Thomas Oliemans celebrates triumphs all over the world in operas and concerts, from the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Teatro Real in Madrid, and Tokyo to Theater Carré in Amsterdam, and in repertoire ranging from classical opera to jazz, Dutch cabaret, and French chansons.

Now he is spreading his musical wings with two powerhouses behind him on two wings! Grandmasters Cor Bakker and Bert van den Brink have both accompanied almost everyone who matters over the past decades, both nationally and internationally.

Together, on two grand pianos, they can create a musical world that can sound like a full symphony orchestra for one song and have the intimacy of a small jazz combo for the next! Music by Michel Legrand, Barbara, Gershwin, and Cole Porter, and titles such as ‘La Chanson des Vieux Amants’, ‘Windmills of Your Mind’, but also ‘De trein naar het Noorden’ or ‘Als je overmorgen oud bent’ will be performed.

Thomas Oliemans
The Dutch baritone Thomas Oliemans is one of the leading singers of his generation and has performed at the Metropolitan Opera New York, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Staatsoper Berlin, De Nationale Opera Amsterdam, and the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, among others. He has collaborated with conductors such as Daniel Barenboim, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Jaap van Zweden. Additionally, he is a highly sought-after lieder singer, performing at Wigmore Hall, New York, Tokyo, and Paris, among others. Oliemans also accompanies himself on the piano, including in Schubert’s Winterreise , and created the chanson program Formidable! with Amsterdam Sinfonietta. He was also a curator of the Delft Chamber Music Festival and a jury member at the International Vocalists Competition ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

Cor Bakker
Cor Bakker is one of the Netherlands’ best-known pianists and musical accompanists in the light music and entertainment world. He graduated cum laude from the conservatory in 1984 and continued his studies in Los Angeles with composer and pianist Clare Fischer. Subsequently, he was a principal lecturer at the Utrecht Conservatory and the permanent pianist of the Metropole Orchestra for eleven years. He became known to the general public through radio and television programs, including as an accompanist for Paul de Leeuw, and later with his own programs such as Cor & Co and Cor op Reis . On stage, Bakker moves effortlessly between light classical music, evergreens, chansons, jazz, cabaret, and Dutch-language repertoire.

Bert van den Brink
Bert van den Brink was born on July 24, 1958, and received his first piano lessons at the age of five. He studied classical piano at the Utrecht Conservatory, where he graduated cum laude in 1982 and became a teacher of light music piano that same year. Alongside his classical foundation, he developed his skills as a self-taught musician in improvisation on piano and organ. His work later shifted increasingly towards improvised music. In 2007, he received the VPRO/Boy Edgar Prize. Van den Brink is active as a pianist, organist, accordionist, arranger, and producer, and has worked with musicians such as Gino Vannelli, Richard Bona, Toots Thielemans, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Miranda van Kralingen.