Conductor

Tjeerd Barkmeijer is a Dutch conductor and recent graduate of the renowned conducting course of the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester (UK), where he studied with Clark Rundell and Mark Heron, and received regular tuition from Sir Mark Elder. He obtained his Master of Music in Performance with Distinction.

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The highlight of his career so far is conducting the BBC Philharmonic in a performance with The Noon Witch by Dvorak and Khachaturian's Piano Concerto with pianist Iyad Sughayer. Other professional orchestras he conducted include the Savaria Symphony Orchestra, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Northern Ballet Sinfonia and musicians of Manchester Camerata. Having a keen interest in music theatre, Tjeerd conducted several staged opera and operetta performances, both inside and outside the RNCM.

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As assistant conductor, Tjeerd gained valuable experience while assisting Vasily Petrenko, Sir Mark Elder, Andrew Manze and Antony Hermus, amongst others, with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, and North Netherlands Orchestra. In public masterclasses as well as private sessions, he had the privilege to work with numerous distinguished conductors and pedagogues, including Mark Shanahan, Nicholás Pasquet, Mark Stringer, Vassily Petrenko and Neil Thomson.

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A fervent advocate of new music and lesser-known 20th-century works, Tjeerd premiered several new compositions for full symphony orchestra as well as smaller ensembles. 2021 will see him conducting the Dutch new music ensemble orkest de ereprijs, amongst others.