He is an orchestral conductor and musician born in Achtkarspelen, The Netherlands, who studied composition, conducting and flute at The Hague Royal Music Conservatory and specialised in the study and practice of Baroque flute. Moving to Geneva on a scholarship to further study conducting and composition, which was his first step in building an international professional career.
Becoming acclaimed as an operatic conductor he was named as the Best Opera Conductor for his work with the Netherlands Opera in 1992 and he has led several opera orchestras in England and Australia.
As the Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, he is remembered for completing a Beethoven cycle in 2002.
Often working outside of The Netherlands he has appeared on at least eleven occasions in England alone with the London Philharmonic, BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Sinfonietta and the Philharmonia. On his return to Europe after several years in Australia he has recently led the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Orquestra Filharmonica de Gran Canaria, Radio-Philharmonie Hannover des NDR and the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra among others.
He has also been Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Music Director and Conductor of the Netherlands Ballet Orchestra and Dance Theatre, Chief Conductor of the Belgrade RTB Symphony Orchestra, Guest Conductor at the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and led the Staatsphilharmonie-Rheiland Phalz, the Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra, the North Holland Philharmonic Orchestra, the ASKO Ensemble and the Stockholm Symphonic Wind Orchestra.
Making numerous recordings he has won the ABC Classic FM Australian Recording of the Year and the ARIA award for Best Australia Classical Recording on works by Messiaen and the Australian composers Richard Meale and Peter Sculthorpe respectively.
Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra recordings
Chromatic Variations (Hendrik Andriessen)
NM Classics 92023 (CD: Hendrik Andriessen)
Conductor – David Porcelijn
Flute – Tom Reinders
Oboe – Herman Vincken
Violin – Maurits Bosman
Violincello – Dmitri Ferschtman
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