Meet the Heart Behind the
Photo by Hilde Verweij
Let’s start at the very beginning…
Andrea Vasi (1989) was born into a Romanian-Dutch family. She started playing the piano at a young age, and after seeing the 1965 film ‘The Sound of Music’ and the 1980 film ‘Fame’, she decided to become a professional pianist and was admitted to the School for Young Talent at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, The Netherlands. Here, she met many other young musicians, and her passion for chamber music was ignited.
In her high school years, she won prizes at various competitions, including the Prinses Christina Concours (with Sumire Hara, violin, and later with Noa Eyl, violin) and the Steinway Competition (solo).
An international career was launched, and she performed throughout the world (USA-Carnegie Hall, Canada, Argentina, South Africa, India, all over Europe), many concerts being broadcasted on radio and/or television.
All-round Pianist
After obtaining her high school diploma (VWO), she continued her BA and MA studies at the same conservatoire, under the guidance of prof. Ellen Corver. She completed both her studies with distinction, won prizes as a lied accompanist at the International Vocal Competition ’s-Hertogenbosch (with Ellen Valkenburg, soprano) and played in many well-known ensembles (a.o. ASKO|Schönberg) and orchestras, as well as playing piano concerti as a soloist, most notably from J.S. Bach, Beethoven, Grieg and Stravinsky, under conductors such as Etienne Siebens and Hidemi Suzuki. She was a special guest at the Gergiev Festival (Rotterdam) and Young Artist in Residence during the NJO Muziekzomer (Gelderland).
She took regular lessons with prof. Pascal Nemirovski (Royal Academy of Music, London – solo), Phyllis Ferwerda, Rudolf Jansen, Meinard Kraak, Elly Ameling, Ilona Sie Dhian Ho and Koosje van Haeringen (chamber music/accompaniment), for which she is ever grateful. Having taken jazz and harpsichord lessons as well, Andrea is one of the most versatile musicians of her generation. She played in music theatre productions with Marlies Ruygrok, Lucia Meeuwsen, Hebe Dijkstra and Elena Vink, and accompanied drama lessons and productions of directors such as Elsina Jansen, David Prins, Cora Burggraaf and Jorinde Keesmaat.
Paying it forward
Besides performing, she has a great passion for teaching. She completed her Bachelor of Education at the Hogeschool Inholland, The Hague, and has taught for more than twenty years in The Netherlands, India and Bhutan, both in piano and in primary schools, as well as in orphanages. Once a year, she teaches chamber music at Zomercursus Woudschoten (NL). She is a piano coach at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, accompanying a.o. the trombone class of her duo partner, Sebastiaan Kemner.
With him, she created several theatre tours/concert programs, and composers such as Theo Verbey, Thomas van Dun and Trevor Grahl wrote pieces for the duo, expanding the trombone-piano repertoire with significant new works. She also regularly performs with James Oesi (double bass), Luna van Leeuwen and Maxime Gulikers (violin) and others.
Andrea is very much inspired by Buddhism, and what initially started out as a hobby, pursuing an MA in Buddhist Studies at the University of South Wales (graduated with distinction), has now led to pursuing a PhD at the Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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Do you want a pianist for your special event? Or do you want to book private piano lessons?
Book
Do you want a pianist for your special event? Or do you want to book private piano lessons?