New Record Label!
Merel has launched her own record label, All Ears Records! On September 27, 2024, she released the label’s debut album, Sarasvati, featuring herself and pianist Dina Ivanova. To fund the label’s second album, she has started a crowdfunding campaign.
Violinist Merel Vercammen has performed all over the world in concert halls such as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, and Wigmore Hall in London. She was trained as a classical violinist at the Royal College of Music in London, where she graduated with honors. However, Merel also brings improvisation back into classical music and takes the violin to venues outside the traditional classical stages. For instance, she has been heard 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 Dutch newspaper Financieele Dagblad as one of the 50 young promises of 2023.
Since 2018, Merel has formed regular duos with pianist Dina Ivanova and cellist Maya Fridman. She frequently played with musicians like Olga Pashchenko, Erik Bosgraaf, Ties Mellema, Sterre Konijn, Bernadeta Astari, Rembrandt Frerichs, and Maria Milstein. As a soloist, she has performed with the Nederlands Kamerkoor, Pynarello, and the Doelen Ensemble.
Merel’s discography now includes four albums and a digital EP. Her debut album, Symbiosis (2019) with Dina Ivanova, combines the Violin Sonata by César Franck with works by Mathilde Wantenaar and Poldowski. In September 2019, The Zoo followed, offering something surprisingly unusual in classical music: a full album of completely free improvisation. In 2021, The Boulanger Legacy with Dina Ivanova followed, featuring the musical heritage of the sisters Lili and Nadia Boulanger. For these albums, Merel received praise in the international press and was invited to radio and TV. The Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant ranked two of her albums among the best of the year.
As a soloist, Merel has a broad repertoire. She has performed violin concertos by Beethoven, Brahms, Dvořák, and Lalo, as well as contemporary works. In 2022, she played the world premiere of the Piano Trio by Evgeny Kissin in Amsterdam.
Merel has long been committed to raising the profile of contemporary and female composers. She has a special connection with the young Dutch composer Mathilde Wantenaar, who wrote her first work for violin and orchestra for Merel. On her debut album, Merel recorded Mathilde Wantenaar’s Sprookjes. Wantenaar also composed the oratorio Dear Professor Einstein at Merel’s request.
Her interests in science and music come together in the biennial festival SNAAR, of which Merel is both founder and artistic director. The first two editions took place in 2022 and 2024 at TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht, showcasing newly developed interactive performances at the intersection of art and science. Besides her activities as a violinist and musical creator, Merel studied mathematics and earned a Master of Science in Music, Mind & Brain at Goldsmiths, University of London, and a Master’s in Cultural Economics & Entrepreneurship at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Merel plays a violin made by the famous maker Jean Baptiste Vuillaume, built around 1845 in Paris, and a 19th-century bow by Franz Albert Nürnberger. Both are on loan to her from the Dutch Musical Instruments Foundation (NMF).
The Arts Desk review
“This performance here of Poulenc’s Violin Sonata does more than stand comparison with versions by far better-known names, it might be the most convincing of…
Sarasvati is out now
The first album on Merel’s new label All Ears Records is out now! Textura, Canada: “Vercammen and Ivanova perform superbly throughout the release and handily…
Looking Back at SNAAR Festival 2024
What a wonderful edition of SNAAR Festival on Music & Science 2024! Under the artistic direction of Merel, it was a celebration filled with beautiful…
Merel Launches All Ears Records
After founding her own festival, Merel is now starting her own label. It all began with the desire to record the sonatas of Debussy and…
One of the FD Newspaper’s “50 Promising Talents of 2023”
What an honor to be featured in FD’s talent special! Read the interview online. Merel was also featured on the front page of the newspaper.
★★★★ in BBC Music Magazine
A great review for The Boulanger Legacy in BBC Music Magazine! “A fascinating and imaginative line-up”
Review Wiener Zeitung
A shared review in the Wiener Zeitung with Argerich and Barenboim – incredible! “Das klangschöne, homogene Duo hat sich auf die Spuren der Schwestern Boulanger…
Interview & ★★★★★ in Dutch press
Merel was interviewed by Thea Derks on the new album. The interview appeared on print at “De Nieuwe Muze” magazine in The Netherlands last month,…
Review from Textura Canada
A really nice review from Canada! “The duo’s passionate rendering of Le Grand Tango (1982) by Piazzolla (1921-92) shows that they’re more than up to…
Review from Pizzicato Magazine
A very positive review on The Boulanger Legacy from Luxembourg: “Still young in years, they nevertheless know how to add a personal touch to their…
New album!
Dutch violinist Merel Vercammen and Russian pianist Dina Ivanova release a new album of works for violin and piano by the Boulanger sisters, Bernstein, Bacewicz,…
New single out now!
Next week marks Piazzolla’s 100th birthday. To celebrate, Merel Vercammen and Dina Ivanova will release their rendition of his Le Grand Tango (which he wrote…
★★★★ for the Utrecht Improvisation Walk
Maartje Stokkers from De Volkskrant wrote a nice review about our second Improvisation Walk (De Utrechtse Improvisatiewandeling – muziek & dans) which took place on the 8th…
New EP: Silent City
I’m happy to announce my new Live EP ‘Silent City’ with cellist Maya Fridman is out NOW! We recorded the EP, which includes works by…
Dutch National News
Merel made the Dutch national news (NOS Journaal) yesterday by playing three concerts for 30 people at the main hall (capacity 2000 people) of TivoliVredenburg…
Livestream from De Doelen
Pianist Rembrandt Frerichs and I were invited to perform a lunchtime concert via livestream in an empty main hall of De Doelen in Rotterdam! We played a…
Podium Witteman
Merel performed at Dutch TV Show Podium Witteman on the 8th of March and you can now watch both performances on youtube: “Ik dacht dat…
Symbiosis in De Volkskrant album top 40
Symbiosis ended on number 27 in the top 40 best albums (all genres) of 2019 at Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant! Billie Eilish became the number one….
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CD Sarasvati
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CD The Boulanger Legacy [SOLD OUT]
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Combi Deal
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Symbiosis: Franck, Wantenaar, Poldowski
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The Zoo: improvisations (2-CD)
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