BIOGRAPHY

Dutch violinist Pieter van Loenen graduated summa cum laude from the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague in 2016 and was awarded a special prize for the best exam of the year by this institution. Since then, he has made a name as one of the most versatile violinists of his generation. He is currently active as a soloist, chamber musician and guest concertmaster, both at home and abroad. He is founder and co-artistic director of chamber music festival Klassiek achter de Duinen and associate concertmaster of the Residentie Orkest, both in his hometown The Hague. As a chamber musician, he is a regular guest at festivals throughout Europe, including Verbier Festival, IMS Prussia Cove and Grachtenfestival Amsterdam. In April 2024, he will perform a new violin concerto written for him by Dutch-Israeli composer Karmit Fadael with the Noord Nederlands Orkest.

His debut album The Silence Between, recorded together with duo partner pianist Tobias Borsboom, was released in 2020 to universal acclaim: “Van Loenen and Borsboom have incredibly strong synergy, like in their interpretation of Poulenc’s violin sonata; a painting of wistful frenzy.” (de Volkskrant)

In his projects, Pieter enjoys finding connections with different art forms. As Young Artist in Residence of the Dutch National Youth Orchestra 2018, he showed is artistic vision in several crossover concert programmes. His music theatre production Over Orpheus was awarded the Dutch Classical Talent Audience Award 2019.

Pieter started violin lessons at the age of 6 with Koosje van Haeringen and continued his studies with Vera Beths in The Hague and Terje Moe Hansen in Oslo. He won prizes at all Dutch violin competitions, including the Audience Award at the Oskar Back violin competition in 2016. Afterwards, he honed is craft in masterclasses throughout Europe with artists like Pavel Vernikov, Augustin Dumay, Mihaela Martin, Midori, Guy Braunstein, Gabór Takács-Nagy, Anthony Marwoord and Gerhard Schulz.

Pieter plays a violin built by Marc de Sterke in 2011. He plays with a bow by Eugène Sartory, on a generous loan from the Dutch Musical Instruments Foundation.