Lectures and workshops

Meneka Senn: Crowdfunding

Meneka Senn is business manager/producer at the Dutch String Quartet Academy and also works as a classical soprano and cultural entrepreneur in the challenging Dutch cultural landscape. At her Master's degree in Singing in 2018 at the FontysConservatory Tilburg, she also received the award for "Most Promising Artistic Entrepreneur"  She founded the B.O.O.M-Bold Opera On theMove Foundation in 2014, with which she conducted 3 successful crowdfunding campaigns for 3 different opera productions in the Netherlands. In 2019, B.O.O.M. merged into Stichting Yala Music, which has also completed a successful crowdfunding campaign for a CD recording and international tour.

During the Crowdfunding lecture at the NSKA, she will talk about the do's and don'ts of crowdfunding. The lecture is specifically aimed at crowdfunding at platform VOORDEKUNST. This is the Dutch platform for crowdfunding for amateur and professional artists. 

Merel Vercammen: Find your niche!

Merel Vercammen has performed all over the world and has played in concert halls such as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg and the Wigmore Hall in London. As a classical violinist, she was trained at the Royal College of Music in London, where she graduated cum laude. But Merel also brings improvisation back into classical music and takes the violin to places outside the usual classical stages. She has performed at major pop festivals in the Netherlands such as Down The Rabbit Hole and Into The Great Wide Open. In 2023, she was selected by the Financieele Dagblad as one of the 50 young promises of 2023.

Her interests in science and music come together in the biennial SNAAR festival, of which Merel is the creator and artistic director. The first edition in Utrecht's TivoliVredenburg took place in 2022. She also developed interactive performances at the intersection of art and science. In addition to her activities as a violinist, Merel studied mathematics and obtained a Master of Science in Music, Mind & Brain at Goldsmiths, University of London and a Master in Cultural Economics & Entrepreneurship at Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Marco van Es: Brood & Play

As a starting ensemble, you naturally want to play a lot. But you also want to earn a living from it. And then you quickly discover that playing really well is not enough. That there is much more to it to make a good start as an ensemble. Do you really need to have striking photos taken, think carefully about what sets your ensemble apart from all the others, regularly update your social media and network? Marketing and communication specialist Marco van Es will take you through the first steps of a successful start for your ensemble on October 7.

Marco van Es studied musicology in Utrecht and worked for Philips Classics, Combattimento Consort Amsterdam, Het Gelders Orkest and Stichting Omroep Muziek. He has been a freelancer for 3 years and works for Oranjewoud Festival, the NTR ZaterdagMatinee, BIJ ANDREAS in Naarden, Phion, Orkest van Gelderland en Overijssel and Muziek aan Bed.