Erik Sikkema

During my studies as a guitar major at the Sweelinck Conservatorium, Amsterdam, I came in contact with people from the NOS (Dutch Broadcast Corporation). I felt more and more attracted to the profession of recording-engineer, rather than becoming a professional musician. The Royal Conservatory in The Hague started in the same period a four year education in recording-engineering (Muziekregistratie), the first in Holland. I went there in 1983 to complete the qualification test and I was accepted. The curriculum covered recording-engineering, sonology, electronics, acoustics and music-theory. In addition to our techniques and music classes, I studied two years of guitar followed by two years of lute with Mr. Toyohiko Satoh. My graduation recording, Olivier Messiaen’s Turangalila Symphony was recorded in Het Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, in the presence of the composer.

Already before finishing my studies in The Hague, I worked as a  free-lance recording engineer. Most of the time I freelanced for Harlekijn Holland, both as engineer and audio-editor. I started to work with world-renowned organist Harald Vogel, professor at the Hochschule für Musik, in Bremen, and we made several recordings in Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden and the USA. Later we also worked together on a video production, directed by Thomas Klein, called “Fette Kühe für eine Orgel,” a short documentary about several historical organs in Ostfriesland.

At the end of my studies, I was contacted by Jacques van Oortmerssen, Professor of Organ at the Conservatorium in Amsterdam. With Van Oortmerssen, I produced CD’s recorded in Holland, Germany, Norway, Denmark and Sweden. I also recorded Van Oortmerssen  in Falun’s Christine Kyrka.(1991)  Both Vogel and Van Oortmerssen were acquainted with another organist, Hans Davidsson and in 1991 I recorded the well known CD couplet with the organ works of Matthias Weckmann. This project served as the creative artistic section of Davidsson’s dissertation for his studies in Musicology in Göteborg. The organ Davidsson played for the recording project was the Schnitger organ in Norden, Germany, a rather awkwardly situated organ for any recording project. This recording became a best-seller, and is still available today.

I continued to work with more and more international artists throughout Europe. I have been considered for several years now as an expert in organ recordings, bur I have done many orchestral and chamber music recordings as well. Many of these productions can be found on my website, but that list does not include all inclusive. I often worked behind the scenes for the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and I made radio-recordings and worked as a sound engineer for TV productions with music, for example Mozart Requiem, Eric Ericson's Kammarkör, conducted by Eric Ericson, and I assisted with or edited other projects for different companies. I have worked in the USA, Great-Britain, Estland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Italy and Austria. My recordings have been released on many labels, including Philips, Erato, Telarc, BIS, Nonesuch, Koch-Schwann, Capriccio, CPO, Fidelio, Finlandia, Musica Sveciae, Proprius, Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, Organeum, Gothic, Loft, Etcetera, Motette, Astree and others.

Famous artists with whom I have worked include pianist/conductor  Philipe Entremont, conductor/harpsichordist Ton Koopman, violinists Gidon Kremer, Viviane Häggner, baroque violinist Monica Hugget, soprano Emma Kirkby and with many other great, less famous, but as brilliant musicians. Very known string quartets I worked with are, Quatuor Mosaique, Orlando Quartet, Tokyo String Quartet and  Orpheus Quartet.