Mathieu Daniël Polak
Mathieu Daniel Polak was educated at the Dutch Carillon School in Amersfoort. He obtained his Master in 2000 with a specialization in carillon education. Since the graduation in 2000, he is a lecturer at the Netherlands Carillon Center in Amersfoort. Mathieu won prizes for carillon playing at international carillon competitions in Hamburg (Germany) and Enkhuizen (the Netherlands). He gave recitals in Misono (Japan), Logumkloster (Denmark), Mafra (Portugal), Dijon (France), Mol (Belgium) and Hamburg (Germany). Since 2008, he is the carillonneur of the Erasmus University Rotterdam. There he gives weekly recitals and teaches amateur carillonneurs. Moreover, since 2003 Mathieu Polak is carillonneur of Spakenburg.
Mathieu Daniel Polak holds two Master Degrees in composition namely from the Lemmens Institute Leuven (2013) and from the Utrecht School of the Arts (2010). A grant from Foundation Maror enabled Polak to compose a Hebrew song cycle. Several well known musicians, including Irene Maessen (soprano), Eleonore Pameijer (flutist), Marja Bon (pianist), Michael Stirling (cellist) and Erika Waardenburg (harpist) performed works from him.
Highlights in his career as a composer are performances of his works in the Uilenburger Synagogue, Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, the Jewish Historical Museum and the Hollandsche Schouwburg in Amsterdam. His composition Le Lis Des Vallees was nominated for the Henriette Bosmans Prize 2011. Polak’s composition Fleurs de Cerisier for wind quintet was awarded the third prize at the Coma Maastricht competition in 2011 and Puppy Love for horn was awarded the third prize at the composition competition IVME Antwerp 2011. Polak studied piano with Alwin Bar and Ton Hartsuiker at the Conservatory of Utrecht. Since graduating in 1997, he is a pianist at various ballet schools and is a private teacher piano.
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