About
Niek Baar (1991) started to play the violin at the age of 8. Five years later he was admitted to the young talent class of the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, where he was taught by Mireille van der Wart. In 2012 Niek received his Bachelor Diploma ‘cum laude’ from the same school, where he then studied with Philippe Graffin and Peter Brunt. In July 2016 Niek finished his Master studies at the “Hanns Eisler” Conservatory in Berlin with the highest possible score. Niek studied at this school with Prof. Stephan Picard. From summer 2016 Niek also studied privately with Prof. Christoph Poppen.
Niek received masterclasses by great violinists and teachers such as Leonidas Kavakos, Boris Kuschnir, Mihaela Martin, Miriam Fried, Pavel Vernikov, Anner Bylsma, Hagai Shaham and Ivry Gitlis.
Niek is a prize winner of several national and international competitions like the 'International Solo Bach Competition' in London, where he received the First Prize. In July 2014 Niek won the third prize during the famous International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in Leipzig. In his home country Niek won several prizes, most recent the first prize of the Oskar Back National Violin Competition, giving him concerts as a soloist with all the main orchestras in Holland and a cd recording. In December 2015 Niek received the “Kersjesprijs”, a prize given to young talented string players worth of 15.000 euro. And in May 2017 Niek won the 'Manfred Grommek Förderpreis' at the Kronberg Music Festival in Germany.
Niek has participated in courses and given concerts in different countries throughout Europe such as Finland, Belgium, France, and Italy. In November 2012 Niek gave recitals in Costa Rica on invitation by the Dutch Embassy. In Holland Niek has performed as soloist or in chamber music groups in all major halls. Niek has also made solo appearances in different festivals in Holland like the Delft Chamber Music Festival, The Gergiev Festival in Rotterdam, and the Bach festival in Dordrecht. As a result of the Bach Competition Leipzig 2014, Niek got to play in the Main Hall of the Gewandhaus in Leipzig during the prizewinner’s concert which was broadcasted on German ARD Radio.
As a soloist, Niek played with several orchestras: when he was 16 he made his solo debut with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra in the main hall of concert building, 'de Doelen' in Rotterdam. He has also performed with the North Netherlands Orchestra, Residentie Orchestra, Radio Philarmonic Orchestra, Atheneum Chamber Orchestra, Berliner Camerata, Pauliner Kammerorchester Leipzig and the Royal Conservatory Orchestra of The Hague. In 2019 Niek will perform with the Rotterdam Philarmonic Orchestra in the Concertgebouw Amsterdam ( Bruch Scottish Fantasy ) and will play as a soloist with the Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra.
Niek is being represented by ‘Brinks Artists Management’. This management is located in Amsterdam and represent artists as Liza Ferschtman, Nobuko Imai and Nicolas Altsteadt among others.
Niek is extremely happy to be able to perform on a very special and rare violin made in the capital of violin making: Cremona, Italy in the year 1729 by Carlo Bergonzi. This violin belongs to the Tjardus Greidanus Foundation in Amsterdam and is given to Niek on a loan by this Foundation.