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Erik Bosgraaf, recorder
Erik Bosgraaf is considered one of the most virtuosic recorder players in the world—and certainly the most adventurous. For him, the instrument is an inexhaustible source of inspiration. He plays jazz, improvises, uses electronics, and enjoys collaborating with artists from other disciplines, such as film. His repertoire spans from medieval music and Vivaldi to contemporary works. For Erik, there is no fundamental difference between early and modern music; he shares the view that “early music is always new.”
As a soloist, he has performed with leading orchestras around the world. He made his U.S. debut with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra under Jaap van Zweden. He has also appeared with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, The Hague Orchestra, the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra, the Dortmund Philharmonic, among others. Frans Brüggen invited him to perform Bach’s Cantata BWV 106 (Actus Tragicus) at the Concertgebouw.
Around 100 works have been written specifically for him, including 20 concertos. Dutch composer Willem Jeths wrote the recorder concerto Mahlerian for Bosgraaf, which premiered at the Concertgebouw with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and was later released by Challenge Classics. Impressed by Bosgraaf’s artistry, Pierre Boulez granted him permission to arrange Dialogue de l’ombre double (originally for clarinet) for recorder. The world premiere took place at the Concertgebouw and was released on CD in 2015. In 2019, Erik performed his version of Arvo Pärt’s Fratres in Tallinn with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra.
He has released over 20 CDs, including complete sonata cycles by Handel, Telemann, and Van Wassenaer with harpsichordist Francesco Corti, as well as concertos by Telemann, Vivaldi, and Bach. He has recorded “co-improvisations” with laptop artist Jorrit Tamminga, produced with the support of Pierre Boulez. His version of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons was also released on vinyl. Many of his concert recordings are in collaboration with his ensemble Cordevento, with whom he frequently performs live.
Erik has also collaborated with cellist Ernst Reijseger on several soundtracks for films by director Werner Herzog.
Together with Dutch filmmakers Paul and Menno de Nooijer, he created the DVD Big Eye. Their latest joint project is a multimedia version of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, which combines film, animation, live projection, and breathtaking landscapes. Along with composer Ernst Reijseger, Erik contributed to the music for several of Herzog’s films.
He is a visiting professor at the Music Academy in Kraków, Poland, and gives masterclasses worldwide. He teaches recorder at the Conservatory of Amsterdam.
In 2011, he was awarded the Nederlandse Muziekprijs, the highest honor for classical musicians in the Netherlands. In 2009, he also received the Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award and the Het Gouden Viooltje music prize. After nominations by the Concertgebouw and BOZAR Brussels, he was invited by the European Concert Hall Organisation (ECHO) to tour internationally as part of their Rising Stars program during the 2011/2012 season.
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