Mike Fentross is one of the best theorbo players in the world, and also a conductor of stature...
Opusklassiek
Conductor/lutenist Mike Fentross has largely earned his credits as an early music specialist and keeps on developing as a musician and instrumentalist. He graduated in 1988 from the Royal Conservatory The Hague where he studied with lute pioneer Toyohiko Satoh. Soon after his graduation he was appointed as professor of basso continuo on the lute at the same institute and later he succeeded his former professor.
In four decades of making music Mike Fentross has been a.o. inspired by performing chamber music with musicians such as Yo Yo Ma, Ton Koopman, Janine Jansen, Marion Verbruggen, Philippe Jarousski, Ann Hallenberg, Lucy van Dael, Andreas Scholl, Skip Sempe and Gerard Lesne. He played many solo recitals, opera productions, recordings and concerts with La Sfera Armoniosa and other leading baroque ensembles.
In 1992 he founded his ensemble La Sfera Armoniosa which later developed to both an ensemble and an orchestra. In 1994 he won the Van Wassenaer competition in the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and in 1999 he debuted as a conductor.
Cross-over
In 2013 he formed a fascinating duo with jazz musician and composer Maarten Ornstein. They have already recorded three very succesful albums. As the great Duke Ellington once said “if it sounds good, it is good” meaning that there is no right or wrong in music.
Conducting
He is a true conductor, not only in his movements, but also and especially in his musical thought, developed and original, which distinguishes him from many of his colleagues who are considered to be ‘primus inter pares’ wrote La Libre Belgique about the thrilling opening concert of the Bruges Early Music 2004 Festival
In 2009 Mike conducted in the big hall from the Amsterdam Concertgebouw for the first time. About his debut conducting the Netherlands Chamber Choir in the Concertgebouw the press wrote: Conductor Mike Fentross rivalled Caravaggio with the score of the Maria Vespers. His first time conducting the Netherlands Chambre Choir was a resounding success. NRC 2010.
He was asked to conduct the pre-jubilee concert for the Amsterdam Concertgebouw in a programme with solo violinist Lucy van Dael and singers Henk Neven and Andreas Scholl.
In 2018 he conducted a celebration concert with music from 1518, the 500th birthday of the St. Laurence Church in Alkmaar, in combination with music from the Dutch composer Merlijn Twaalfhoven.
Mike made his Austrian debut in the Haydn Festival Eisenstadt with great success in a programme with coloratura soprano Simone Kermes. He is regularly conducting the Baroque Orchestra and Choir of the Royal Conservatory The Hague and he was invited by Paradiso Orchestra to conduct Beethovens Eroica.
Conducting opera
Mike studied conducting with Stefan Pas and has conducted in major concerthalls and festivals since 1999. As a conductor he debuted in 1999 with La Dafne from Marco da Gagliano in a production of the New Opera Academy in Amsterdam.
He reconstructed an early 17th century Dutch play with music ‘Granida’ which he conducted in the Amsterdam Schouwburg in the presence of the Dutch Queen Beatrix.
Mike Fentross conducted two operas from Francesco Cavalli that he unearthed from the Marciana library in Venice: again in the presence of Queen Beatrix the modern world premiere from l’Ipermestra in a prestigeous jubilee production from the Utrecht Early Music Festival and a second unearthed Cavalli opera La Rosinda in a production from Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci Potsdam also performed in the baroque theatre in Bayreuth.
With the Netherlands Chamber Choir and his orchestra he performed Henry Purcell’s ‘The Fairy Queen’ and he was leading his orchestra in Monteverdi’s l’Orfeo in a production of the the Reisopera Enschede/Opera2Day. For the Utrecht Early Music Festival he created and conducted a fascinating semi-staged production, a double bill consisting of Monteverdi’s Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda and Schoenberg’s Pierrot lunaire.
Dance
In 2023 Mike will conduct in theatre ‘Amare’ in The Hague and ‘Muziekgebouw aan het IJ’ in Amsterdam an exciting program in cooperation with Zero Dance Theatre: Praetorius meets Urban Contempory Dance
Recordings
Mike played or conducted on almost one hundred cd’s. Both Cavalli opera’s were released on cd. La Rosinda on the label Ludi Musici and La Rosinda on Challenge Classics International.
In 2017 he recorded a Henry Purcell cd in the Philharmonie Essen with his orchestra and soprano Johannette Zomer . Specially for this project two copies of the trumpet of Purcell’s trumpet player John Bull were built.
In 2019 and 2021 he conducted and recorded two new programmes as part of a series of cd’s with music of (forgotten) Dutch composers. Concerti grossi by Willem de Fesch and work by Pieter Hellendaal. The release of the Pieter Hellendaal album will take place in September 2022.
In October 2022 he will record ‘Concerti Armonici’ by Count Unico van Wassenaer with his ensemble , the third cd in the series (forgotten) Dutch composers.
Press Quotes
CD Willem de Fesch Concerti Grossi
Mike Fentross is one of the best theorbo players in the world, and now also a conductor of stature…Again this De Fesch cd proves the outstanding quality of La Sfera Armoniosa…
Opusklassiek.nl 2021
Several of the concertos featured here have been recorded in the past, but performances of this calibre make a valuable gesture towards redressing undeserved neglect…
Classical-music.com 2021
During the lockdown in 2021 Mike recorded the second solo cd of his John Dowland trilogy:
special repertoire, performed in an extraordinary way and radiating great authority.
Opusklassiek.nl 2021
About the first cd of the trilogy with newly discovered pieces by John Dowland:
‘This quietly beautiful recording introduces a fascinating proposition to the listener – and to the “lute world” in general.
Magazine of the American Lute Society 2019
CD Henry Purcell Symphony while the swans come forward:
A new sound…all the credits here are for Fentross and his wonderful ensemble.
Stretto 2018
…Interesting to notice that Fentross may have learned a lot from Ton Koopman, but in the meanwhile he searched for his own sound and found it. In particular the string orchestra is fascinating us with breathtaking pianissimi.
Opusklassiek.nl 2018
Concert conducted in the Haydn Festival Eisenstadt with soprano Simone Kermes
The public in the Haydnsaal were delighted by the Orchestra La Sfera Armoniosa and their conductor Mike Fentross…It seemed that the two, Simone Kermes and Mike Fentross, understand each other blindly.
Pannonientivi Magazin 2012
Concert with the Netherlands Chamber Choir in the Concertgebouw Amsterdam
Conductor Mike Fentross rivalled Caravaggio with the score of the Maria Vespers. His first time conducting the Dutch Chamber Choir was a resounding success.
NRC 2010
Opera production La Rosinda from Cavalli in Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci Potsdam also performed at Bayreuther Barock.
Fentross’ musical direction is fleet yet detailed, expressive and witty, and his musicians respond with playing of color and flexibility.
MusicalAmerica.com 2009
Opera production l’Ipermestra from Cavalli in Early Music Festival Utrecht
Mike Fentross presented his richly coloured version with dedication and conviction. The still beauty of this Cavalli came to life sometimes mercifully beautiful.
Trouw 2006
Mike Fentros, conductor and lutenist, is one of the most interesting components of a new generation of Dutch musicians who focus on Baroque music and authentic playing styles.
NRC 2006
Buxthehude Membra Jesu Nostri, Opening concert of the Musica Antiqua Festival in Bruges.
Besides a technically perfect performance of his orchestra, his lecture of ‘Membra Jesu Nostri” is tempting for its intensity and its theatricality: Fentross increases the contrasts, uses rubati rarely heard in this repertoire and builds powerful nuances which brings to the music a supplementary dimension of sound.
La Libre Belgique 2004 – Musica Antiqua Festival (Bruges) – Buxtehude Mebra Jesu Nostri
Schoenberg Pierrot Lunaire/Monteverdi Combattimento
There was great enthusiasm for Mike Fentross as conductor of a double bill consisting of Monteverdi’s Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda and Schoenberg’s Pierrot lunaire. Mike Fentross gave a performance of Pierrot Lunaire that ‘appeared to come from another planet’.
Volkskrant 2004
La Dafne from Marco da Gagliano, New Opera Academie The Hague/Amsterdam. Conducting debute.
The vocal ensembles were stunningly beautiful and were performed under the direction of Mike Fentross with a generous and rich expressivity.
Haagse Courant 1999
A press kit will be soon available