Get inspired by visual arts
Research Retreats at the Cello Academy
Draw inspiration from visual art and collaborate as cellists and composers towards a public performance
with contemporary sounds
RESEARCH RETREAT
A Research Retreat is a collaboration between the CelloWercken Foundation and Dat Bolwerck – centre of visual arts – both situated in Zutphen. The current exhibition at Dat Bolwerck determines the theme of the retreat.
FOR COMPOSERS AND CELLISTS
Composers explore the background of the subject of the exposition, together with the artist. Subsequently, they incorporate their inspiration into contemporary compositions, which they share with the participating cellists.
Cellists also bring their own repertoire for the masterclasses in the morning. In the evenings we will explore and practice the new compositons.
Throughout the retreat, the work and performance are refined, and finally, all elements come together in a public performance!
PROGRAM ’23/’24
4-days course – about The Parallel House
Research Retreat December '24
In this course, you will be guided by Jeroen den Herder (cello), Xiaoyong Chen (composition), Alfian Emir Adytia (cello, composition, and sound artist), and Hua-Hsuan Lee (piano). Except for Xiaoyong Chen, who will provide online composition guidance beforehand, the rest of the team will support you in Zutphen.
Composers and cellists work together. Cellists also bring their own repertoire for the masterclasses in the morning. In the evenings we will explore and practice the new compositions.
This Research Retreat we focus on the exhibition The Parallel House of the Parisian visual artist Pieter van der Schaaf. The key to his work is invisible systems on which we thoughtlessly depend.
Including a performance for an audience in Dat Bolwerck
4 – 7 December ’24
Wednesday – Saturday
Full and closed
4-days course – about Curiosities, Order in Chaos
Research Retreat March '25
In this course, you will be guided by Jeroen den Herder (cello), Vanessa Lann (composition), Wilma Pistorius (cello and composition) and Hua-Hsuan Lee (piano). Except for Vanessa Lann, who will provide online composition guidance beforehand, the rest of the team will support you in Zutphen.
Composers and cellists work together. Cellists also bring their own repertoire for the masterclasses in the morning. In the evenings we will explore and practice the new compositions.
This Research Retreat we focus on the exhibition Curiosities, Order in Chaos of visual artist Martha Colburn.
Including 2 performances for an audience in Dat Bolwerck
19 – 22 March ’25
Wednesday – Saturday
Composers: waitinglist
Cellists: final registration 3 February
PRACTICAL NOTES
WHO CAN APPLY?
– 6 composers
– 5 cellists
Level: Master, Post Master and young professionals. Are you a high-level bachelor student? Sometimes we make exceptions, so please contact us if you are interested.
Full attendance on all rehearsals and the concerts is mandatory.
AS A COMPOSER YOU CAN ALSO JOIN ONLINE
We will provide a schedule and make sure we are connected during the retreat. You can also join the presentations online.
APPLICATION
- Ask any questions via academy@cellowerckenzutphen.nl
- Let us know if you are interested – you can send your application online
- We contact you as soon as possible – we are happy to have you on board!
- After application we will send you an invoice. It is possible to pay in installments.
WE ARE HAPPY TO ARRANGE YOUR STAY IN ZUTPHEN
We arrange accommodations with families close to Dat Bolwerck.
All meals, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner, will be provided at Dat Bolwerck.
CONTRIBUTION
€ 350 – composers and cellists
€ 50 – composers joining online
Including VAT, covering all classes, accommodation and meals, excluding travel costs
Please reach out if the contribution poses a financial challenge for you. In some cases, we can offer a scholarship. Check out the scholarschip conditions >>
Refund conditions:
- When you withdraw within 28 days (4 weeks) prior to the first day of the course, there is full refund possible;
- When you withdraw within 14 days prior to the first day of the course, there is 50% refund possible.
PREPARATION
We start in advance with an online meeting with the visual artist in which all students and teachers participate. We learn more about the theme and the ideas of the artist and discuss the direction, including further development of the project.
Composition students start to create one or more compositions (or sketches) after this meeting, drawing inspiration from the exhibition. Each composition should be approximately 7 minutes in length and can be written for 1 to 5 cellos, with or without piano accompaniment. The compositions (or sketches) will be reviewed with the teachers in 3 online meetings. The pieces will be shared in advance with the participating cellists, whether or not in a rough form. These pieces will be tested, refined, and completed during the retreat.
Cello students will practice the compositions/sketches in advance. To support this, we are organizing 1 online meeting with Jeroen den Herder. Furthermore cellists bring their own repertoire to the Research Retreat. In case you want to play with piano, we ask you to share your repertoire 4 weeks in advance.
Please check the dates and terms in the preparation schedule below.
PREPARATION SCHEDULE RESEARCH RETREAT DECEMBER '24
Composers and cellists
23 October ’24: first online meeting with the visual artist about the exhibition theme and an open discussion about the direction, including further development of the project.
Between 13 – 20 November: composers and cellists collaborate online as needed
Composers
7 November ’24: online meeting with Xiaoyong Chen – first review compositions/sketches
8 November ’24: online meeting with Xiaoyong Chen
22 november ’24: online meeting with Xiaoyong Chen
25 November ’24: final compositions ready to share
Cellists
8 November ’24: first draft of compositions will be shared
11 November ’24: online meeting with Jeroen den Herder to check the compositions
25 November ’24: final compositions will be shared
PREPARATION SCHEDULE RESEARCH RETREAT MARCH '25
This Research Retreat there will be 2 performances, one of them for a young audience of kids. Take this into account in the composition(s).
Composers and cellists
14 February ’25: first online meeting with the visual artist about the exhibition theme and an open discussion about the direction, including further development of the project.
date to follow: composers and cellists collaborate online as needed
Composers
Date to follow: online meeting with Xiaoyong Chen – first review compositions/sketches
Date to follow: online meeting with Xiaoyong Chen
Date to follow: online meeting with Xiaoyong Chen
Date to follow: final compositions ready to share
Cellists
Date to follow: first draft of compositions will be shared
Date to follow: online meeting with Jeroen den Herder to check the compositions
Date to follow: final compositions will be shared
PROGRAM OF THE RETREAT – we will inform you in advance about the details
Wednesday
10:00 – 11:00: welcome
Morning: masterclasses cello and composition
Afternoon: rehearsals
Evening: inspiration
Thursday and Friday
Morning: masterclasses cello and composition
Afternoon: rehearsals
Friday afternoon: kids-performance
Evening: inspiration
Saturday
Morning: prepare evening performance
Afternoon: finetuning and rehearsal on performance
Evening: performance
TEACHERS
Jeroen den Herder
About Jeroen den Herder
Den Herder has been a dedicated teacher ever since he took a professorship at the age of 22 at the Utrecht Conservatory. His lessons are based on a healthy development between mind and body, and a cello technique inspired by his teacher Christopher Bunting who was a former student of Pablo Casals.
His approach is based on natural principles like gravity, character and playfulness. ‘Everything is music, don’t play to avoid mistakes.’ Elements as delegation of body functions and breathing are some key topics that will help you to achieve perfection in a healthy way.
His main focus is on how and what people practise. He believes that being aware of one’s imagination, sensitive listening and following intuition, are elements that have proved to be the best teachers for life.
Xiaoyong Chen
About Xiaoyong Chen
Chens oevre is a subtle combination of Eastern linguistic and philosophical traditions with European musical innovation.
A part of his career he spent in Germany as, amongst various projects, professor of composition at the Hamburg Hochschule für Musik und Theater.
He also accepted various professorships in China (Shanghai Conservatory of Music and Xi’an Conservatory of Music). He also has been composer in residence (2009) and artistic and scientific advisor of the Danube University Centre for Contemporary Music.
His works are exclusively published by the Internationale Musikverlage Sikorski/Boosey & Hawkes (Berlin).
Vanessa Lann
About Vanessa Lann
Alfian Emir Adytia
About Alfian Emir Adytia
Wilma Pistorius
About Wilma Pistorius
Wilma Pistorius was born in South Africa and started playing the cello when she was four years old. From an early age, she has been fascinated by the expressive possibilities of music and has been playing with music in her imagination for as long as she can remember. When she moved to the Netherlands in 2004, she continued having music lessons, and these culminated in a formal education. She got her Bachelors degree in composition at the Conservatory of Amsterdam with Wim Henderickx and Jorrit Tamminga in 2013, and simultaneously did her Bachelors degree in cello at the Conservatory of Rotterdam with Jeroen den Herder, graduating with distinction in 2014.
Her works have been performed in prestigious concert halls including the Concertgebouw and Orgelpark in Amsterdam, Anton Phillipszaal in The Hague, De Toonzaal in Den Bosch and Muziekgebouw Eindhoven, at various festivals such as Gaudeamus Muziekweek, November Music, CelloBiennale Amsterdam, and Cellofestival Zutphen. Internationally, her music has been played in Finland, Denmark, Norway, the UK, Germany, France, Australia, and New Zealand. Pistorius has worked and played together with renowned musicians such as the Atlas Ensemble, Harrie Starreveld, Doris Hochscheid, Frans van Ruth, Timora Rosler, Jeroen den Herder, and Dhruba Ghosh. In 2022, she received the first prize in CoMA (Contemporary Music for All)’s ‘Composing for Amateurs’ composition competition.
As a cellist, Wilma is especially interested in performing contemporary music, preferably less-known pieces for cello solo and in small ensembles. She also loves the rich cello suites of Johann Sebastian Bach, and enjoys improvising and playing in experimental settings.
As a composer, Pistorius’ works are often prompted by sensory experiences and her inner reactions to those. She is intrigued by the question of what it means to be a woman in this day and age, and creates works that are woman-positive, celebrating the joy of her gender. She also particularly enjoys playing with different colours of sound and musical textures. The aesthetics of Japanese Zen art and Indian classical music have also been significant sources of influence and inspiration. Currently, she enjoys exploring the combination of sound and movement, using theatricality as an extension of her musical language, and is fascinated by the field of tension that lies at the intersection of different musical styles.
From September 2024, she teaches a course in ‘Composing for Strings’ at ArtEZ Conservatory in Arnhem, the Netherlands.
Hua-Hsuan Lee
About Hua-Hsuan Lee
As a talented pianist, Hua-Hsuan Lee has been awarded prizes in numerous national and international competitions in her young age, including the first prize of International Cross-Strait International Music Competition(2015), the first prize of International Violin & Piano Competition of Vienna (2011), the first prize of Taiwan Music Competition (2007) , the second prize of Taiwan National Student Competition(2007) and as 3ème Prix à l’unanimité of International Music Competition (2022).
In 2016, while she studied for her master degree with Russian-German pianist Stepan Simonian in Hochschule fur Musik und Theater Hamburg, her unique music talent and soulful playing was discovered by mastro Jeroen den Herder. Following that she has formed the cello/piano duo with Mr. den Herder and has been invited by numerous International festivals giving performances in Spain, Turkey, Netherlands. Since 2020, they have created their own concert series “Den Herder op Zondag”, where the diverse music has been provided to the public. The repertoire amounts virtuoso classical music to contemporary music.
Next to her solo career, Hua-Hsuan Lee has extensive experience working as collaborative pianist with promising musicians and teachers, for instance Leonid Gorokhov, Jakob Koranyi, Gavriel Lipkind, Pieter Wispelwey. Since 2017 she collobrate as pianist in residence of Cellofestival Zutphen for masterclasses and concerts.
Being a highly sensitive and enthusiastic artist, she has an unusual sensation and deep desire of searching for different artistic ways of self-expression. Her curious and challenging heart leads her to CelloWercken, where she can express freely in her unique voice and share her warm heart with people.
ABOUT THE EXHIBITIONS
The Parallel House – Pieter van der Schaaf
Pieter van der Schaaf lives and works in Paris. His body of work consists of installations that incorporate sculptures, ceramics, found objects, and elements of existing architecture. In his work, he explores the notions of representation, hospitality, ownership, and care.
In The Parallel House, the visitor sees architectural ceramic infrastructures, pipes, cables, and conduits resembling an electrical circuit and plumbing. We discover new spaces, previously hidden rooms, and what takes place behind the walls, behind the surface. These normally invisible systems form a parallel world of energy and circulation on which we, as inhabitants, thoughtlessly depend.
Curiosities, Order in Chaos – Martha Colburn
Martha Colburn is an experimental filmmaker and artist, known for her unique and vibrant animation style. Her work often combines stop-motion animation, collage, and found footage to explore themes such as politics, violence, social issues, and pop culture.
Colburn’s films are colorful, chaotic, and often provocative, with a punk aesthetic that defies conventional storytelling forms. Her films have been shown at prestigious festivals like the Cannes Film Festival and the Rotterdam International Film Festival. In addition to film, Colburn also creates installations, music videos, and experimental music.
CELLO ACADEMY IN DAT BOLWERCK
The Cello Academy is situated in Dat Bolwerck, Zaadmarkt 12. It is a mixture of charming medieval times and modern art, right in the heart of the old town, just a 10-minute walk from the train station.
Have you ever been to Zutphen? If we do say ourselves: it is a delightful little town. With a charming market with cozy cafes and situated along the IJssel river – you can always find a peaceful spot to enjoy the riverbanks.
