Leo Ketelaars

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Leo Ketelaars (born December 23, 1913 in Maasniel , Netherlands ; † January 26, 1992 in Vaals , Netherlands) was a Dutch violinist , opera singer ( baritone ), vocal teacher and composer .

Life

The son from an artistically and musically talented family moved to Vaals with his parents in 1922 at the age of nine. Ketelaars began playing the violin at the age of twelve and was tutored by the violinist and composer Jules Dreissen (1893–1949). In addition, he learned to play the piano and harmonics . He later studied in Aachen at the conservatory founded by Paul Schnitzler (1889–?) In 1930 with the Norwegian Morten Svendsen (1877–1959), from 1932 to 1939 director of the Aachen Philharmonic Orchestra , and his wife, the soprano Valentine Rostin (1886 -1944).

In the second half of the 1930s, Ketelaars worked as a violinist at the Stadttheater Aachen under the direction of General Music Director Herbert von Karajan . Karajan discovered his talent as a singer in Ketelaars and recommended him a career as an opera singer. As early as 1937 gave Ketelaars, although not yet trained as a singer, his debut in the radio . It was not until 1938 that he graduated with honors. To round off his knowledge, he also studied organ and choir conducting in Aachen during the Second World War .

From 1946 Ketelaars took three years of lessons with the singer Suze Luger , a singing teacher at the Maastricht Conservatory . After completing this training, he took part in the international singing competition Union Bel Canto in The Hague in 1949 , where he won first prize and the gold medal. Through this victory, Ketelaars became known and often hired by radio, where he u. a. also worked with the conductor Paul van Kempen .

Over the next 25 years, Ketelaars worked very successfully with well-known soloists , orchestras and conductors and produced numerous recordings . From 1945 to 1957 he was also the musical director of the operetta ensemble Het Zingende Zuiden in his hometown of Vaals. But after a heart attack he had to end his active career and since then has worked as a singing teacher in Tilburg and Maastricht in order to - according to his own words - pass on his knowledge and experience to the next generation . One of his students was the German opera singer Matthias Juchem .

On May 1, 1977, Ketelaars was awarded the Dutch Order of Orange-Nassau for his life's work. He spent the last years of his life in a family circle with his wife, daughter and son as well as two grandchildren, marked by illness.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The personal data mentioned here come from this detailed source . In this source , however, the date of birth is February 23, 1913 and the date of death January 26, 1992; and here again other dates are mentioned.
personal data
SURNAME Ketelaars, Leo
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Dutch violinist, opera singer (baritone), singing teacher and composer
DATE OF BIRTH December 23, 1913
PLACE OF BIRTH Maasniel , Netherlands
DATE OF DEATH January 26, 1992
Place of death Vaals , Netherlands