Hello stranger by Theaterkoor Voice Female (Regie: Karin Jonsthovel), 2019.
With my direction, I aim to enhance the choir's overall expression to support the vocal performance while also respecting and showcasing the natural, authentic qualities and presence of each individual choir member in the best possible way.
Voice Female Shuffelt by Theaterkoor Voice Female (Regie: Karin Jonsthovel, 2024.)
Already during my singing career, I discovered that I had a strong sense for combining music and singing with theater and acting. And not just as a singer—I always had ideas about the direction of the productions I was part of.
So when the Leiden composer Warner van Es asked me to direct one of his operas, I didn’t have to think twice: of course, I wanted to do it! The collaboration was such a success for all involved that I continued directing whenever my singing career allowed it, often performing in the very pieces I staged, and later beyond that.
In addition to directing mostly small-scale operas and musical theater productions by composers such as Van Es and Huba de Graaff, I also began creating fully theatrical performances with choirs.
In practice, this means that, in consultation with the conductor and the choir, I develop a theme, select repertoire accordingly—ranging from classical to pop, depending on the choir’s preference—and then create a seamless collage performance. Sometimes, this also includes poetry, prose, or recorded interviews. For example, I have staged a theatrical version of Schubert’s Winterreise with 15 singers.
With my direction, I aim to enhance the choir’s overall expression to support the vocal performance while also respecting and showcasing the natural, authentic qualities and presence of each individual choir member in the best possible way.
For the singers involved, this approach fosters growth in expression, posture, self-awareness, stage presence, spatial awareness, and interaction with others on stage. Many choir members have told me that they carry these skills into other areas of their lives—whether in public speaking or simply becoming more confident in general.
The combination of artistic creativity and supporting choir members in their personal development makes creating a performance with a choir both a challenging and deeply rewarding experience for me. Of course, such a project requires the choir to sing everything from memory, which is an important consideration!
That said, I can also be hired to work with a choir for a few rehearsals to improve stage presence, posture, expression, and other performance skills, or to create a simple mise-en-scène or choreography to give a performance that extra touch.
Additionally, I direct existing works such as operas, musicals, and oratorios.
So when the Leiden composer Warner van Es asked me to direct one of his operas, I didn’t have to think twice: of course, I wanted to do it! The collaboration was such a success for all involved that I continued directing whenever my singing career allowed it, often performing in the very pieces I staged, and later beyond that.
In addition to directing mostly small-scale operas and musical theater productions by composers such as Van Es and Huba de Graaff, I also began creating fully theatrical performances with choirs.
In practice, this means that, in consultation with the conductor and the choir, I develop a theme, select repertoire accordingly—ranging from classical to pop, depending on the choir’s preference—and then create a seamless collage performance. Sometimes, this also includes poetry, prose, or recorded interviews. For example, I have staged a theatrical version of Schubert’s Winterreise with 15 singers.
With my direction, I aim to enhance the choir’s overall expression to support the vocal performance while also respecting and showcasing the natural, authentic qualities and presence of each individual choir member in the best possible way.
For the singers involved, this approach fosters growth in expression, posture, self-awareness, stage presence, spatial awareness, and interaction with others on stage. Many choir members have told me that they carry these skills into other areas of their lives—whether in public speaking or simply becoming more confident in general.
The combination of artistic creativity and supporting choir members in their personal development makes creating a performance with a choir both a challenging and deeply rewarding experience for me. Of course, such a project requires the choir to sing everything from memory, which is an important consideration!
That said, I can also be hired to work with a choir for a few rehearsals to improve stage presence, posture, expression, and other performance skills, or to create a simple mise-en-scène or choreography to give a performance that extra touch.
Additionally, I direct existing works such as operas, musicals, and oratorios.
Links:
Warner van Es: Socrates (director)
Warner van Es: Kinder van Medea (director & singer)
Warner van Es: Job (director & singer)
Theaterkoor Voice Female: Vanity (director)
Theaterkoor Voice Female: Ich Hab Keine Lust (director)