INTERVIEW
When and where was your first concert with the MCO?
January 2009 in Ludwigshafen, playing Stravinsky's Pulcinella suite with Tugan Sokhiev conducting.
What is your most memorable moment with the orchestra?
Playing Beethoven's Symphony No.5 in Ferrara together with my former teacher Božo Paradžik, best friend Burak Marlali and Claudio Abbado conducting. It was a unbelievable week, the best possible combination of friends challenging and inspiring each other when playing. And all that with the great Abbado conducting. The poster from the concert is still hanging in my room.
What is the most difficult aspect of your job?
All the planning: 14 students at the Hochschule in Düsseldorf, solo concerts, orchestra concerts, my band ORBI and maybe some practicing… but sometimes I have to say "no" to work, even though I love all aspects of my job, because the body needs rest, too.
If you could play another instrument what would it be?
Singer (Bass-baritone), Bassoon, Horn, Bass Trombone ... as you can see I kind of stick to the low (dark) side!
The first piece of music you fell in love with:
Rachmaninoff's Trio élégiaque No.1
Biography
Rick Stotijn studied double bass at the Conservatory in Amsterdam with his father Peter Stotijn and graduated with the highest distinction. He continued studies with Bozo Paradzik at the Hochschule in Freiburg. He won several first prizes at competitions and was awarded the highest accolade to a musician in the Netherlands, the Dutch Music Prize. According to the jury, ‘Rick is a versatile musician with a moving musicality and an overwhelming virtuosity.’
Amongst the many solo appearances which followed worldwide, was a Carte Blanche series in the Recital Hall of the Concertgebouw Amsterdam.
Rick Stotijn performs regularly as a soloist with orchestras such as the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Phion Orchestra of Gelderland and Overijssel, the Residentie Orkest The Hague, Philzuid, Toulon Opera Symphony Orchestra, Musica Vitae Sweden, Joensuu Symphony Orchestra and the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra.
Recently, Rick has played as a soloist with the Kölner Kammerorchester and Bochum Symphoniker, and has made a highly appraised recording, Doppio Espressivo with Camerata RCO. According to The Strad,
‘Rick Stotijn’s prowess lies not only in his assured technical fluency but also in his interpretative imagination, tonal diversity and instinctive ability to communicate.’
In the upcoming seasons 2024 to 2026, Rick will continue his soloist role with new and existing double bass concertos of Missy Mazzoli, Peter Eötvös, Gordon Jacob, Jesper Nordin, Richard Dubugnon and a newly commissioned double concerto by Sally Beamish. He will play Stravinsky’s Pulcinella Suite arranged for solo violin, double bass and strings. Collaborating orchestras will be the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphony, Dutch Collective, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Camerata Nordic, Düsseldorfer Symphoniker and the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra.
Rick was the principal double bass in the Rundfunk Sinfonie Orchester Berlin and Amsterdam Sinfonietta and a member of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. He is currently principal in the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Lucerne Festival Orchestra. As guest principal, Rick plays regularly in the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and Orchestra Mozart, Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra of Europe.
In chamber music, he has worked with Janine Jansen, Christianne Stotijn, Liza Ferschtman, Julius Drake, Cecilia Bernardini, Vilde Frang, Julian Rachlin, Lawrence Power, Tabea Zimmermann, Malin Broman, Simon Crawford Philips, Johannes Rostamo, Lars Vogt, Christian Tetzlaff, Maximilian Hornung and many others. Rick is a regular guest at festivals such as the Lucerne Festival, Ljubljana Festival, Marvao Festival, Ojai Music Festival, Delft Chamber Music Festival and the International Chamber Music Festival in Utrecht.
Rick Stotijn is Professor Double Bass at the Robert Schumann Hochschule Düsseldorf. He performs on a Giovanni Battista Rogeri double bass, generously loaned by the Dutch National Musical Instrument Foundation.