Mother's Day Concert: Mark van Nispen & Merlijn Runia

Mark van Nispen - piano

After studying piano (Jelena Bazova) and organ (Ad van Sleeuwen) at the Tilburg Conservatory, Mark van Nispen studied song accompaniment with Rudolf Jansen and Meinard Kraak. He took further lessons and master classes with, among others, Ed Spanjaard, Ronald Brautigam, Roger Braun and Kathryn Stott. As a pianist/song accompanist, he played at the Grachtenfestival, Liedfestival Vocallis and Radio4 and in venues such as the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and De Doelen in Rotterdam. Mark has been working as a rehearsal director/coach at Opera Spanga since 2013, where he collaborated on the Verdi trilogy Macbeth (2016), La Traviata (2017) and Aida (2018). He works freelance for companies such as Het Groot Omroepkoor, Vocaal Talent Nederland, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and Opera Zuid and coaches classical singing students.

Merlin Runia - mezzo-soprano

Mezzo-soprano Merlijn Runia graduated from the Dutch National Opera Academy, where Sasja Hunnego taught her. She also participated in master classes by Doris Soffel, Dennis O'Neill, Raúl Giménez, Margreet Honig and Ira Siff. In the field of opera, Merlijn performed the roles of Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro), Dorabella (Così fan tutte), Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus), Flora (La traviata), Mercedes (Carmen) and Zinnia (L'Étoile). . Merlijn appeared at the Holland Festival as Kathy in the world premiere of Arnoud Noordegraaf's As Big As The Sky. Merlijn played the roles of Eurydice/Messaggera/Charone (Nederlandse Reisopera/Theater Sonnevanck), Ot (Theater Artemis) and Kantorka (Ulrike). Quade Company).

Merlijn has worked with conductors such as Patrick Fournillier, Antony Hermus, Jonathan Cohen, Etienne Siebens, Bas Wiegers, Martin Sieghart and Clark Rundell and with directors such as Laurent Pelly, Marcel Sijm, Isabel Schröder, Lotte de Beer, Marc Krone, Xander Straat, Daniël van Klaveren and Corina van Eijk. Merlijn forms a song duo with pianist Mark van Nispen and is coached by Aleksandra Anisimovicz and Eva-Maria Westbroek.