Biography
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Since September 2021 Robbert van Steijn has been chief conductor and artistic director of the Leipzig Symphony Orchestra. He conducts the orchestra in numerous concerts with a variety of repertoire, ranging from symphonic programmes to concerts of opera, operetta and film scores. Under his leadership the orchestra has given several world premières and made recordings for CD and film.
From 2012 to 2016 he was principal conductor with the Staatskapelle Halle, where he conducted many concerts and stage performances. He also curated Farben der Moderne (Shades of Modernism), a contemporary music series and several music education projects. His work at the Halle opera included conducting new productions of Phaedra (Henze), Così fan tutte, Hansel and Gretel, West Side Story and The Queen of Spades.
Since 2009 Robbert has been in regular demand as musical assistant at Amsterdam's National Opera. He was involved in the world première of Willem Jeths' opera Ritratto there in 2020. Both the piece and Amsterdam National Opera's production attracted international acclaim in the press. In 2021 he shared the musical direction of Zurich Chamber Opera's production of two one-acters by Offenbach, Pomme d'Api and Pépito. From 2000 till 2012 he was the permanent conductor responsible for musical assistance and later also chorus master for the Nederlandse Reisopera touring company. 2012 he conducted the revival of the successful production of La Traviata. 2011 saw him in Bayreuth where he was Head of Music for the production of Tannhäuser. In 2009 and 2010 he conducted the production of El gato con botas as well as performances of Honegger's Les Adventures du Roi Pausole for Opera Trionfo.
From 1997 to 2000 Robbert van Steijn was conductor of the legendary Hoofdstad Operette Amsterdam, the Netherlands' one professional operetta company. In the world of the musical he worked on a number of national tour productions for Joop van den Ende Theaterproducties (Stage Entertainment Group) as musical director. He has a repertoire of more than 60 operas, operettas and musicals. His concert performances of Nabucco and Macbeth in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw enjoyed great success. Other ensembles Robbert has conducted include Helios Ensemble, Ensemble Florelegium Musicum, Atlas Ensemble, Nieuw Ensemble, RBO Sinfonia, the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, North Netherlands Orchestra, Limburg Symphony Orchestra, Staatskapelle Halle, Leipzig Symphony Orchestra an the Nuremberg State Philharmonic.
Robbert studied conducting with Jan Stulen and with George Hurst in England; he shadowed Günter Wand in Bamberg, Hamburg and Amsterdam and completed his studies in 1997 with Roland Kieft and Kenneth Montgomery at the Sweelinck Conservatoire in Amsterdam. He studied piano at the Utrecht Conservatoire under Håkon Austbø, taking his Master's in Music Performance in 1990. As part of his further studies Robbert took part in masterclasses with Rosalyn Truck, Peter Feuchtwanger, William Cuthbertson and Claude Helffer. Outside the Netherlands, his performances as a pianist have taken him to Germany, Austria, Belgium, Norway and Switzerland. In 1994 he joined the Anhaltische Theater in Dessau as repetiteur.
As a composer and arranger Robbert has worked with composers Tristan Keuris, Theo Very, Eduard de Boer and Willem Jeths. He has arranged works for the Netherlands Touring Opera, Staatskapelle Halle, Leipzig Symphony Orchestra and operetta companies, as well as his own productions. In 2018 Bärenreiter published his Urtext edition of Dvořák’s g-minor Piano Concerto
From 2012 to 2016 he was principal conductor with the Staatskapelle Halle, where he conducted many concerts and stage performances. He also curated Farben der Moderne (Shades of Modernism), a contemporary music series and several music education projects. His work at the Halle opera included conducting new productions of Phaedra (Henze), Così fan tutte, Hansel and Gretel, West Side Story and The Queen of Spades.
Since 2009 Robbert has been in regular demand as musical assistant at Amsterdam's National Opera. He was involved in the world première of Willem Jeths' opera Ritratto there in 2020. Both the piece and Amsterdam National Opera's production attracted international acclaim in the press. In 2021 he shared the musical direction of Zurich Chamber Opera's production of two one-acters by Offenbach, Pomme d'Api and Pépito. From 2000 till 2012 he was the permanent conductor responsible for musical assistance and later also chorus master for the Nederlandse Reisopera touring company. 2012 he conducted the revival of the successful production of La Traviata. 2011 saw him in Bayreuth where he was Head of Music for the production of Tannhäuser. In 2009 and 2010 he conducted the production of El gato con botas as well as performances of Honegger's Les Adventures du Roi Pausole for Opera Trionfo.
From 1997 to 2000 Robbert van Steijn was conductor of the legendary Hoofdstad Operette Amsterdam, the Netherlands' one professional operetta company. In the world of the musical he worked on a number of national tour productions for Joop van den Ende Theaterproducties (Stage Entertainment Group) as musical director. He has a repertoire of more than 60 operas, operettas and musicals. His concert performances of Nabucco and Macbeth in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw enjoyed great success. Other ensembles Robbert has conducted include Helios Ensemble, Ensemble Florelegium Musicum, Atlas Ensemble, Nieuw Ensemble, RBO Sinfonia, the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, North Netherlands Orchestra, Limburg Symphony Orchestra, Staatskapelle Halle, Leipzig Symphony Orchestra an the Nuremberg State Philharmonic.
Robbert studied conducting with Jan Stulen and with George Hurst in England; he shadowed Günter Wand in Bamberg, Hamburg and Amsterdam and completed his studies in 1997 with Roland Kieft and Kenneth Montgomery at the Sweelinck Conservatoire in Amsterdam. He studied piano at the Utrecht Conservatoire under Håkon Austbø, taking his Master's in Music Performance in 1990. As part of his further studies Robbert took part in masterclasses with Rosalyn Truck, Peter Feuchtwanger, William Cuthbertson and Claude Helffer. Outside the Netherlands, his performances as a pianist have taken him to Germany, Austria, Belgium, Norway and Switzerland. In 1994 he joined the Anhaltische Theater in Dessau as repetiteur.
As a composer and arranger Robbert has worked with composers Tristan Keuris, Theo Very, Eduard de Boer and Willem Jeths. He has arranged works for the Netherlands Touring Opera, Staatskapelle Halle, Leipzig Symphony Orchestra and operetta companies, as well as his own productions. In 2018 Bärenreiter published his Urtext edition of Dvořák’s g-minor Piano Concerto