Artistic-director/conductor
Marcel N.verhoeff,
Born in 1956, Marcel Nicolajevich Verhoeff received his first piano lessons at age six from his father. After completing his highschool education, Verhoeff entered the Royal Conservatory in The Hague in 1975 to study vocal arts first under the guidance of Herman Woltman, and later, under Aafje Heynis. Successfully completing the program requirements at the Royal Conservatory, Verhoeff continued his studies at the Conservatoire Royal in Brussels under Louis Devos. Outside of this formal education, Verhoeff has studied choir direction under Jan Eelkema, and orchestra direction under Fernand Terby, Kenneth Montgommery, Antoni Ross-Marba and Anton Kersjes.
He is actually a Netherlander, but his heart beats for Russia. More exactly for the Don Cossacks and their choir, which he has helped to achieve worldwide fame. Marcel Nikolajevich Verhoeff is the principal conductor of the Don Cossacks Choir Russia, and gives the greatest musical pleasure with his 24 professional singers. In an interview, Verhoeff explained his direction, as a Dutchman, of a Russian choir, by his deep attachment to Russia: “I feel like a Russian, and I love Russian music.” Already during his studies Verhoeff was interested in Slavonic music. After his education at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague and the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, he undertook the direction of a choir, which had specialised in liturgical songs and folk music of old Russia. In 1988, at the invitation of the Netherlands and the Russian governments, Verhoeff went to Russia for the first time on a student grant. A result of this journey was the prestigious job of conducting the Academic State Choir, “Alexander Jurlov Capella”, on the occasion of a festival concert commemorating the 150th anniversary of Tchaikovsky’s birth. After this he undertook a tour of Europe with this choir.
Finally, in 1993, he became the principal conductor of the Don Cossacks Choir. At the same time he was appointed an Officer of the Cossack Regiment in Krasnodar in Southern Russia, and was promoted to Captain in 1996. Marcel Verhoeff impressively performed his interpretation of the Russian songs during a special concert at the White House in Moscow. Verhoeff has completed numerous highly successful tours and concerts with his choir, and recorded many CDs.
