Reitze SMITS

Reitze Smits studied organ, harpsichord, composition, improvisation and musicology. The interpretation of baroque music and his fascination for the music of Bach defined his career for many years. He won prizes on several international organ-competitions. With his baroque-ensemble Concerto Strumentale he performed in international festivals, where especially his “reconstructions” of organ-concertos by Bach highly were appreciated. As a conductor he performed among others Bach’s cantatas and his St.John’s Passion. His recent Bach interpretations on allofbach.com are internationally highly praised. Inspired by his work as organ professor at the music high schools in Utrecht (NL) and Leuven (B), improvisation and the organ repertoire at large attracted his full attention again.

He appears in concerts in many European countries and was guest professor at international organ-courses in Haarlem, Toulouse, Brno, Oundle, on Mallorca, etc. He edited and recorded arrangements of works of Schubert, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff, Satie, Poulenc and Milhaud. As a composer he edited several works for organ and wrote music for choir and other instruments. From 2000 till 2017 was artistic director of festival “Voor de Wind”, bringing the organ with multi-disciplined programming under the attention of a large audience. In 2010 he was awarded the prestigious Sweelinck-prize for his contributions to the Dutch organ culture.