Kouwenhoven, Esther
No. 33
Voice type: Soprano
Country: Netherlands
Date of birth: 31 January, 1991
The Dutch soprano is finishing her Master’s degree in classical singing with Lena Lootens at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. As a member of the Bach Ensemble Amsterdam, the Brussels Chamber Choir and the Octopus Chamber Choir, Ms Kouwenhoven has sung several solo parts, for instance in Bach's St Matthew’s Passion, in Gloria by Vivaldi, Carmina Burana by Orff and in Mozart's Requiem. She has performed the role of Rachida in De Tembelberg by Nina Fukuoka and the song cycle Entre deux chemises by Gillis Sacré. Both pieces were written especially for her. In October 2016, she won third prize in the Bach Vocal Competition organised by the Brabant Bach Choir. Ms Kouwenhoven is cofounder and part– alongside a pianist and a dancer - of Meer, a new collective for music, dance and more.
Competition Repertoire
Preliminary
Liszt: Oh! quand je dors (V. Hugo)
Mozart: Deh se piacer – Vitellia’s Aria from La clemenza di Tito
Puccini: O mio babbino caro – Lauretta’s Aria from Gianni Schicchi
Semi-final
Bizet: Comme autrefois dans la nuit – Léïla’s Aria
from Les Pêcheurs de Perles
Puccini: Mi chiamano Mimi – Mimi’s Aria from La bohème
Final
Bellini: Eccomi, in lieta vesta... Oh! quante volte – Giulietta’s Aria from I Capuleti e i Montecchi
Mozart: Ach, ich fühl's, es ist verschwunden – Pamina’s Aria from Die Zauberflöte
Gounod: Je veux vivre – Juliet's Waltz from Roméo et Juliette