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Jeroen den Herder completed his studies with distinction with Maria Hol, Dmitri Ferschtman and Christopher Bunting. He then became a leader of the Cello Octet Conjunto Ibérico, a group with a worldwide reputation as a full time cello ensemble.

Den Herder gained several music awards. Among them a first prize-winner of the “Postbank Sweelinck” cello competition and the first prize of the Foundation of the Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam. He’s been an active chamber music player, performing with musicians like Janine Jansen, Igor Roma, Anner Bijlsma and as a member of the Ruysdael Quartet Den Herder performed in all major concert halls in Holland (Concertgebouw) England (Wigmore Hall) and Japan (Oji Hall). Their concerts at the Amsterdam Quartet Biënnale received much acclaim. Between 1999 and 2012 Jeroen has been the cellist of the Nieuw Ensemble, one of the leading Dutch ensembles for contemporary music.

Fulfilling the function of artistic director CelloWercken Zutphen, which embodies both the International Cello Festival and the Cello Academy, he commissioned contemporary composers the write for the festival, leading to inspired projects such as The Tibetan Book of the Death and Passion of Innocence.

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 the development between mind and body, and a cello technique inspired by his teacher Christopher Bunting, a former student of Pablo Casals. Cello playing based on natural principles like gravity, character and playfulness.

“Everything is music, play not to avoid mistakes, delegation of body functions and breathing” are some key topics which will lead to a healthy way achieving perfection. His main focus is making people aware what they exactly practise. He believes being aware of one’s imagination, sensitive listening, intuition and delegation of body functions are elements that have proved to be the best teachers for life.

He’s been a regular guest teacher at the Conservatory in Minsk (2003-2010) and visiting guest- professor at the University in Tainan, Taiwan. Furthermore he has given masterclasses in Holland, Belgium, Spain, Germany, France, China and Israel. Today he helds positions as a teacher at the Conservatories of Utrecht and Rotterdam.

“I’ve heard Jeroen den Herder performing the Elgar cello concerto with the Sint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra. He played with great distinction and sensitivity, and I believe he will grow into a wonderful cellist” Yehudi Menuhin, 1995.

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.

Vanessa Lann is a Dutch-American composer, pianist and educator living and working in the Netherlands. Born in Brooklyn, she began studying piano at the age of five. Her first compositions also stem from her childhood years.

After graduating from Harvard University she came to the Netherlands in 1990 to continue her studies in composition with Theo Loevendie and Louis Andriessen at The Hague’s Royal Conservatory.

Shortly after arriving in the Netherlands she received her first commission from ensemble Orkest De Ereprijs and has continued to write for Dutch and international musicians, ensembles and festivals ever since.

She now has a total of 95 commissioned works to her name, ranging from solo pieces to works for large ensemble, choir, and orchestra. She has also worked on a number of scenic and staged projects with a range of interdisciplinary collaborators.

In 2022 Vanessa Lann was appointed as the first Head of Composition for Film and Theatre at the ArtEZ Conservatory in Arnhem. In this part-time position she leads an international team of academic staff and visiting professionals from the film and music sectors to provide a dynamic, practically-based curriculum designed to equip students for future careers in composing for film and the live performing arts.

Katharina Gross is an Austrian cellist and composer whose work explores the expressive boundaries of the cello through bold performance, interdisciplinary collaboration, and adventurous new music. With a deep classical foundation and a passion for expanding the instrument’s voice, Gross has become a distinctive and influential figure in today’s international music landscape.

As a performer, Gross has appeared as a soloist with orchestras such as the Philharmonic Orchestra of Kyiv, Staatsorchester Kassel, and Salzburg Chamber Soloists. Her recital career has taken her to leading venues including the Musikverein Vienna, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and festivals in Boston, Tehran, London, New Zealand, and Uzbekistan. She is known for her technically refined, emotionally direct performances, often combining traditional repertoire with newly commissioned works.

In parallel to her performance career, composition has become a central pillar of her artistic output. Gross composes primarily for her own instrument, creating works that integrate sound, movement, and visual design. Her recent piece Images Intérieures, developed during an artist residency at Aubette 1928 in Strasbourg, reveals her interest in introspection, sonic layering, and spatial performance. In these works, she treats the cello not just as an instrument, but as a voice for storytelling, texture, and resonance.

A major part of her creative identity is her founding of cellomondo in 2010—a global commissioning project inviting composers from around the world to write solo works for cello. The initiative fosters cultural diversity in contemporary cello repertoire and has grown into a long-term collaboration with composers across five continents. These works are performed in concert marathons and festivals, and recorded on albums such as Inside, released on the Austrian label einklang records. Through cellomondo, Gross not only expands the literature for her instrument, but also acts as a bridge between cultures, generations, and musical idioms.

Her innovative spirit is also evident in her multimedia collaboration with composer Arnold Marinissen on the Cello Songbook. The centerpiece of this project, Cello Box, combines music, theatre, and light design in a micro-theatrical performance space. Toured across the Netherlands and featured at events like the Cello Biennale Amsterdam and Cross-Linx Festival, the work reimagines the recital experience and showcases Gross’s range as performer, storyteller, and co-creator.

Gross is equally committed to chamber music, education, and artistic leadership. She curates concertello, a concert series dedicated to contemporary music in Austria, and regularly performs in experimental chamber settings. Whether playing, composing, or commissioning, her work emphasizes curiosity, craftsmanship, and connection—qualities that make her an inspiring presence for audiences and students alike.

Through her artistry and vision, Katharina Gross is redefining what it means to be a cellist and composer in the 21st century—one who listens deeply, creates boldly, and invites others into the conversation of sound.

Arnold Marinissen: ‘For me, creating music is all about immersing. Warmth and pulse are words that come to mind when I try to describe my music. Voice and text are important; I like to follow the route that a text lays out for me, to deal with breath, diction, nuances of intonation, and I’m intrigued by the personality of each individual voice.’

With his background in percussion he also likes to write for this multi-coloured family of instruments. But he equally gladly dedicates himself to strings, winds and keyboards, electro-acoustic music and music for dance and film.

His works were performed by, amongst others, Residence Orchestra string trio, Asko|Schoenberg Ensemble, Storioni Trio, Slagwerk Den Haag, Silbersee, Calefax Reed Quintet, Ensemble SCALA, Ensemble Variances (France), Maat Saxophone Quartet, Asko Kamerkoor, Pinquins Percussion Trio, Prisma Strijktrio, and performers such as Katharina Gross (cello), Helena Rasker (voice), Michel Marang (clarinet), Goska Isphording (harpsichord), Ernestine Stoop (harp), Claire Edwardes (percussion), Tatiana Koleva (percussion), Raymond Honing (flute). He created work for choreographer/dancer Ederson Rodrigues Xavier, for the Dutch cinema film Bernard, and for an audio visual installation by the Italian artist Pierluigi Pompei.

His vocal quintet Von Pferden, Gräsern, Sonnen, Menschen was nominated for the Toonzetters Best Dutch Work of 2012 Prize. It was performed by VOCAALLAB in the Holland Festival 2012, and by EXAUDI in the UK. His work has been performed throughout the Netherlands, in the Biennale di Venezia, the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, the PASIC and Zeltsman Marimba Festival (USA), Sao Paolo (Brazil), Taipei (Taiwan), Zagreb (Croatia) and Wellington (New Zealand), amongst others.

His music also sounded in the Dutch cinema film Bernard and in dance productions by Club Guy & Roni, Korzo Productions and Scapino Ballet; it was broadcast by the BBC and in The Netherlands.

Alfian Emir Adytia is an Indonesian cellist, composer, and performer based in the Netherlands. He completed his Master’s degree in classical cello music at The Royal Conservatoire of The Hague, where he achieved an outstanding 9.5/10 grade with distinction in originality.

Following his studies, Emir delved into the captivating world of live electronics, expanding his sonic interests. Since 2017, he has released six independent albums, showcasing his musical evolution and genre explorations. Deeply rooted in Indonesian folk music and European classical musical training, a fusion that adds a unique dimension to his compositions, Emir’s works have been performed on major stages. Furthermore he was honored with a special mention prize in the Calefax Composers Competition in 2022 and received an honorary mention in the Bartók World Competition for Composition.

His music has been widely played from a humble community-based young cellists circle in Yogyakarta, to a film screening in FIVARS festival in Los Angeles and Montreal.

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.