Paul Koek (r.), and his first love: banging those drums
Paul Koek, Dutch and international man of music and theatre, was accorded the 2009 Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Theatre Award last week. The jury report bestowed praise on Koek for his ability to bring together players from all corners of the cultural field: 'Not just because he has been an influential innovator and mediator between the realms of music and theatre ever since the 1970s, but also because he is a passionate teacher and has inspired several new generations of young artists. His oeuvre as a percussionist, composer, director, lecturer, artistic director and performer is nothing but impressive'.
Koek studied percussion at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, worked with a.o. the De Appel theatre ensemble and Theater Groep Hollandia (currently ZT Hollandia), at the core of which he created the Veenstudio. Later on this became the independent Veenfabriek, which he developed into a laboratory and workshop for musical theatre (their Orfeo was part of the Dutch programme at the recent New Island Festival on Governors Island (September 10-20) , as part of the NY400 celebrations in New York). Paul Koek collaborated with such prominent artists as director Peter Greenaway and the English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor Fred Frith. Recently, together with Johan Simons, with whom he has joined forces on several occasions, he was at the helm of the NTGent production of Kasimir and Karoline, a sparkling musical theatre rendition of Ödön von Horváth's socio-critical folk play, which met with considerable appreciation at the Avignon Theatre Festival. A trailer can be viewed here.
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