About
Femke Sonnen (Nijmegen, NL) is a composer, violinist, writer and concert organiser, currently living and working in Ghent (Belgium).
From 1990 to 1995 she worked as leader of the second violins in the Orchestra of Opera Ballet Vlaanderen.
She became leader of the second violins in the orchestra of La Monnaie/De Munt (Brussels) in september 1996.
She began to play the violin at the age of five with Karel Visser (Breda). At age 18 she entered the conservatory
of Amsterdam where she studied with Herman Krebbers and Leo Boelens.
She continued her studies in Utrecht with Charles-André Linale and Keiko Wataya.
During her violin studies, she was also taught by Jaap Schröder (NL), the Orlando and Alberny Quartets (NL and UK),
Sandor Vègh (CH), Ida Haendel (IT) and Mikhail Bezverkhny (BE).
Composer Femke Sonnen
In addition to her career as a violinist, Femke is also active as a composer. In 2019 she obtained
her Master's degree in composition magna cum laude with Luc Van Hove and Wim Henderickx at the AP Hogeschool in Antwerp.
'Juliet & Romeo' for string quartet and tenor, 'The Broken Mirror', (Theme and variations for oboe and piano),
String Quartet nr.1 (*2019) and 'Passing Clouds' for violin and piano (*2021).
Composer
Performing music and composing music are inextricably linked.
Femke decided to study composition and graduated
magna cum laude in 2019 becoming 'A Composer ' !
Performer
Both as a composer and a performer Femke has a great affinity with
theater and dance and has collaborated in various productions
both on and off the stage.
Writer
Theater and song texts such as 'Mens', 'Deirdre's Song', 'Rattekatte' and 'The Living Chair'.
Resumé
Education
Live Electronics
2021-2022
KASK & Conservatorium Ghent, BE
Studies with Jesse Broekman.
Master of Arts in Composition
2016-2019
AP Hogeschool Antwerpen SCHOOL OF ARTS/KC Antwerpen, BE
Studies with Luc Van Hove and Wim Hendrickx.
Thesis: Strijkkwartet nr.1 (2019) The process of creating and composing
a string quartett.
Magna cum laude
Master of Arts in Music
2015 - 2016
LUCA School of Arts/KU Leuven, BE
César Franck : Sonata in A for violin and piano.
Ludwig Van Beethoven : Sonata No. 5 opus 24 for violin and piano.
Thesis: Spring Sonata, searching for the right interpretation. Backgrounds, Performance Practice, Analyses.
Magna cum laude
Diploma Uitvoerend Musicus
1989
HKU Utrechts Conservatorium
Studies with Charles-André Linale and Keiko Wataya.
Magna cum laude
Diploma Docerend Musicus
1988
HKU Utrechts Conservatorium
Studies with Charles-André Linale and Keiko Wataya.
Magna cum laude
Violin (major) Studies
1980-1986
Sweelinck Conservatorium Amsterdam
Studies with Leo Boelens and Herman Krebbers
Professional Experience
Leader of the second violins
1995 - Present
LA MONNAIE/DE MUNT Brussels, BE
Leader of the Second Violins with chamber music contract for the Concertini chamber music series
Leader of the second violins
1990 - 1995
OPERA BALLET VLAANDEREN, Antwerpen - Gent, BE
Leader of the Second Violins
String Quartet
2006 - 2011
Second violin of the ENSOR STRIJKKWARTET, BE
100+ concerts and performances
Concert organisation OP STAPEL vzw (NN 0450693969)
1993 - Present
150 + concerts with programmation ranging from pre-baroque to the new modernists
Music theatre productions in Ghent, BE
Concertmaster String orchestra 'LA PRIMAVERA ' Amsterdam
1985 - 1989
Various solo performances in concerti and solo pieces
Portfolio of Compositions | Soundcloud
Download Excel listing of compositions
2024
Ode an Die Freude : For 4 Horns (6') (for the EAES Congress 11-14/06 2024)
Rivers in The Sky : 11 Violins (7')
Light : Mezzo-soprano, Piano and Violin (5')
Joy : Violin and Piano (5')
2022
Habanera : For A Pocket Orchestra and Ô-CELLI 8 Celli (3')
Elegie : For Violin and Piano (5')
2021
Passing Clouds : Violin and Piano (9')
2020
Le Tombeau (for Corine) : Hornquartet (4')
Trennung : Largo & Allegro for 15 strings (9')
Numbers : A composition in eight parts for string orchestra (15')
The Broken Mirror : Oboe and piano (6'44")
2019
Verzonken Stad : Orchestral (6') piece for variable instrumentation
Mens : A theater piece for soprano, trumpet, clarinet, bassoon and violin (15 ')
Dream from the Past : A short piece for four violins (3'30") Download track
2018
Tres Canciones : Three songs (12') for mezzo in variable settings
Nati I Nichta : A song (4') for soprano and piano (also for soprano and string sextet)
2017
Inside (out) : Dance and violin solo (9')
Trois Pieces Nostalgiques : Three pieces for piano solo (4'30)
Rattekatte : A theatrical fairy tale (40 ') for actress and 6 instruments
Deirdres Song : A song (4') for 2 Sopranos, 1 alto, cello and piano
2016
Juliet & Romeo : A miniature ( 4' ready to be inserted) for tenor and string quartet
2015
Moju : 2 Violins, 1 alto + percussion, bassoon, two dancers - a man and a woman (15')
2013
De Levende Stoel : Mélodrame (65') for string quintett, idiophones and two narrators
2011
Fantasie : Solo Violin (15')
Portfolio of Arrangements
These arrangements are for sale. Use the secure contact form on this site
4 Violins and Double Bass
Thadeus Geisler-Wyganowski : Hommage à la Madone (10 €)
Bela Béla Bartók : 6 Rumanian Folkdances (20 €)
Astor Piazzolla : Fuga y Misterio (15 €)
VIVA OPERA (Album) (20 €)
- Gaetano Donizetti : “Una Fortiva Lagrima“ from “Elisir d'Amore“
- Gioachino Rossini “La Danza” (Tarantella Napoletana)
- Vincenzo Bellini : “Casta Diva” from “Norma”
- Gioachino Rossini : “Non più mesta” from “Cenerentola”
Kurt Weill : Youkali (10 €)
4 Violins
Bela Béla Bartók : Fuga from the Sonata for solo violin (15 €)
Dmitri Sjostakovitsj : Canon from "Ten Aphorismen” for piano opus 13 (10 €)
Dmitri Sjostakovitsj : Prelude nr.4 from "24 Préludes and Fugues" for piano opus 87 (10 €)
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Buy the CD with the recording of these arrangements played by VIVIO
Projects
Both as a composer and a performer Femke has a great affinity with theater and dance and has collaborated in various configurations with actors/performers such as Alexandra Franck, Lucas Van den Eynde, Josse de Pauw, Hubert Damen, Karel Vingerhoets, Gene Bervoets and Jo Decaluwé.
On stage in “Jagden und Formen”, a music-choreographic project
by Sasha Waltz & Guests. Music by Wolfgang Rihm (DVD recording).
De Munt/La Monnaie 2013.
Chansons Qui Résistent: a project (2021) in Besançon (FR) about music written in Theresienstsadt.
2021 The Turn of the Screw
De Munt/La Monnaie streaming and CD-recording of Benjamin Britten’s The Turn of the Screw: a psychological thriller in chamber opera format.
2021 Chansons qui Résistent
10 Concerts in Besançon (FR) with Ensemble Christofori wich DVD-recording and extensive media coverage.
Music composed in Theresienstad Concentration Camp.
2019 Tutti Fratelli
Bloemen van een autist. A story of the impossibility of two lovers to come together. Trailer
2020 VIVIO4 CD Release
Femke Sonnen, Yuri Higashida, Robert Yeo and Stephen Meyer joined by double bass Shagan Grolier in an outstanding CD recording released september 2020.
2016-'17 Juliet Letters
Elvis Costello with the Rosamunde quartett.
2017 Inside Out
Contemporary dance composition with Roman Van Houtven. De Singel, Antwerp (BE).
2012 P.A.R.T.S.
Six performances of Eugène Isaye Sonata nr. 3 op. 27 ‘Ballade' for violin solo with dance. De Munt/La Monnaie and De Singel.
2011-2013 Histoire du Soldat
Staged production with Lucas Van den Eynde
(CC Lier, Roma and De Munt/La Monnaie)
and during the Festival of the Egean, Syros (GR)
2003 Dublin
On tour with the Prometheus Ensemble “The Woman who Walked into Doors” by Kris Defoort
2010 De Zeven Laatste Zinnen
Dimitri Verhulst and the ENSOR STRIJKKWARTET
CD recording of the music by Joseph Haydn with texts by Dimitri Verhulst
2009 Antonio Montanile
Contemporary dance. Performances in Roubaix (FR) and Santarcangelo (IT). String quartett of period instruments.
2023-2024 Taiyo Ensemble
String quartet and piano quintet: Franck, Mendelssohn and Schumann. Peformances in Gent (BE), Brussels (BE) and Baarn (NL).
2024 Fifty for the Future Marathon
17/11 at BOZAR Brussels. Taiyo Kwartet is part of the FTF Marathon 14:00 → 18:00 which is concluded by a concert by the KRONOS quartet.
Contact
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