Three Dordt students participate in prestigious international organ academy

The Noordbroek Organ Academy is an annual weeklong international summer program where eight semi-professional and graduate level organists get a chance to play renowned organs in the Netherlands and Germany.

“We host students who are passionate about the organ and come from some of the finest schools around the world. We keep the group small so that everyone has serious, hands-on experience playing these historic organs,” says Dr. Christiaan Teeuwsen (’80), professor of music at Redeemer University in Ontario, Canada.

This past summer, three of the eight students who participated in the academy were current Dordt students.

“It was a remarkable honor for three Dordt students to be chosen to participate,” says Dr. Carrie (Spronk, '06) Groenewold, associate professor of music at Dordt. “The students needed to prepare repertoire beforehand for the masterclasses and private lessons during the week.”

The academy was located in Noordbroek, the Netherlands, but during the week, students “had the privilege of playing some of the best historic organs in the world,” says Groenewold, including Schnitger organs at the Akerk in Groningen; at Noordbroek; in Norden, Germany; and many others.

“Spending time with these historic instruments can change your life as a musician. You are playing repertoire that was written specifically for the organs that you’re playing on,” says Teeuwsen.

Students studied with Teeuwsen and Mr. Peter Westerbrink, who are specialists in organ and on North German baroque repertoire. The five other students in the program hailed from China, South Korea, and the United States; they helped to enrich the experience.

“It was an intense week of masterclasses, lessons, recitals, excursions to various instruments, and practice sessions,” recalls Groenewold, who accompanied the three Dordt students to the academy. “It culminated in a public recital given at the Hervormde Kerke in Noordbroek on a 1696 Schnitger organ.”

Teeuwsen said the experience was a steep learning curve for the Dordt students, as they were working alongside students in master’s and doctoral programs for music. “The Dordt students did a fine job with the recital. The way they pulled off their repertoire showed how much they had learned in the week.”

Bryce Wick, a junior nursing major from Eagle, Idaho, found it surreal to play on the 1696 Schnitger organ. “It was powerful to know that I was playing on such an important instrument that has endured the years and has been played and appreciated by so many,” he says. “The instrument itself took some getting used to; many of the dimensions – key length and width, pedal layout and size – were different. The temperament of the organ was also different than Dordt’s organ, so the color of the music was quite different too.”

For Karli Vreugdenhil, a senior from Orange City, Iowa, studying music education, there were many highlights to the workshop. She appreciated the many hours she was able to practice on the historic organs and work alongside prestigious teachers, and she loved the opportunity to perform a concert at Noordbroek.

“This academy brought an experience that goes beyond one week; it has carried into my music studies here at Dordt,” she says. “It helped me be more mindful of things like registration, interpretation, and how I play in the space I am in. I’ll take what I learned into my future career of teaching and as a church musician.”

As a Dordt student, Teeuwsen studied organ with Professor Emeritus of Music Dr. Joan Ringerwole. Groenewold is the Joan Ringerwole Chair of Church Music and Organ at Dordt, so having Groenewold and three students at the Noordbroek Organ Academy was a unique experience for Teeuwsen.

“It was a full-circle moment. Who would have expected that I would get to teach Dordt students in organ at Noordbroek? The workload at the academy is tough, but the Dordt students went after the work and did a good job. It was great fun.”

Sarah Moss ('10)