Hans Leenders - Hans Leenders, A Musical Portrait (2022)

Hans Leenders is a principal teacher for organ and choir conducting at the Maastricht conservatory. Besides this, he is the artistic director of the professional chamber choir Studium Chorale, artistic advisor of the festival L’Europe et l’orgue, music director of the Basilica of our Lady and titular organist of the Kopermolen Vaals.

In 2003 I wrote my first mass as music director of the Basilica of our Lady in Maastricht on the occasion of the 200 year anniversary of the Basilica choir. My inspiration never dried up since then. Many new compositions for choir followed, especially for the aforementioned Basilica choir, but also for my professional chamber choir Studium Chorale. Specific composition assignments enlarged my horizon, and this CD is the sounding result of it. With the delicate interplay of soprano Florence Chong and violinist Irina Trajkovska, intense and loving. With the endless colour palette of the Verschueren-organ in the Basilica of Saint Servaas, sublime in combination with the moving soprano voice of Claudia Couwenbergh. With the virtuoso pianist Charlie Bo Meijering in the concert hall of Piano’s Maene in Oud-Rekem. And again with Claudia Couwenbergh and baritone Vincent Kusters, lied specialist par excellence (with a bulging trophy cabinet). My Drei Deutsche Lieder are dedicated to him.