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Jacques ZoonDutch flutist
Country:
 Netherlands |
Content:
- Biography of Jaap Zoon
- Early Career
- Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
- Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Boston Symphony Orchestra
- Lucerne Festival Orchestra
- Teaching and Innovations
Biography of Jaap Zoon
Jaap Zoon was born in 1961 in Heiloo, North Holland, Netherlands. He completed his education at a prestigious gymnasium in Alkmaar before attending the Sweelinck Conservatorium in Amsterdam. At the conservatory, Zoon studied flute under Koos Verheul and Harrie Starreveld, earning a diploma with distinction. He continued his studies at the Banff Center for the Arts in Banff, Canada, where he trained with renowned English flutist Geoffrey Gilbert and Hungarian flutist András Adorján.
Early Career
As a teenager, Zoon made his debut as a member of the Dutch National Youth Orchestra and the European Union Youth Orchestra, under the direction of Claudio Abbado and Leonard Bernstein. He quickly gained recognition for his exceptional talent and musicality.
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
From 1988 to 1994, Zoon served as the principal flutist of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, where he collaborated with conductor Riccardo Chailly. During his time with the orchestra, Zoon performed flute concertos by Mozart, André Jolivet, Frank Martin, and Sofia Gubaidulina.
Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Boston Symphony Orchestra
Zoon was also a leading flutist and frequent soloist with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe from 1994 to 1997, working with conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Bernard Haitink, and Nicolaus Harnoncourt. He then joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra as the principal flutist from 1997 to 2001, under the baton of Seiji Ozawa. In 1998, the Boston Globe named him "Musician of the Year."
Lucerne Festival Orchestra
Zoon is currently the principal flutist of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra. In addition to performing with some of the world's most renowned orchestras, he is a sought-after soloist at music festivals worldwide, particularly in Europe, Japan, and the United States.
Teaching and Innovations
Throughout his career, Zoon has been actively involved in teaching. He taught at the Rotterdam Conservatory from 1988 to 1992, the Indiana University from 1994 to 1997, and the New England Conservatory and Boston University from 1997 to 2002. Since 2002, he has been a professor at the Geneva Conservatory and the Queen Sofía College of Music in Madrid, as well as the International Chamber Music Institute.
Zoon plays on an old French wooden flute and crafts his own mouthpieces. He has also collaborated with master craftsman Alfred Verhoef from Alkmaar and the William S. Haynes Flute Company in Boston. The latter released a new model of wooden flute called the "Zoon Flute."
In 1987, Zoon received a special prize from the jury at the Jean-Pierre Rampal Flute Competition in Paris. In 1999, he and his accompanist Bernd Brackman, with whom he has worked since 1978, were awarded the Edison Award for their recording of contemporary classical music for flute and piano.
