Elizabeth & Marcel Bergmann
The Bergmann Piano Duo’s dynamic and energetic performances of uniquely eclectic programmes have inspired audiences for more than two decades. Their recitals and concerts with orchestra have taken them to many parts of the world, including the United States, Italy, Germany, Holland, Greece and Canada. The duo has appeared at international festivals including: MusicFest Vancouver, the celebrated Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, the Banff Arts Festival, the Royal Bank Calgary International Organ Festival and Competition, the International Two Piano Symposium and Schubertiade, Miami, the Tage für neue Musik, Darmstadt, the Braunschweiger Kammermusik Podium and at the EXPO 2000, Hannover. They have appeared with several North American orchestras such as the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, the New World Symphony and the Canticum Novum of Santa Fe.

They have made recordings for the CBC, for several stations of the ARD in Germany and for National Public Radio in the USA. The duo has recorded several CDs, which appear on numerous lables on the CordAria and Arktos labels and has recorded William Bolcom’s complete works for two pianos for Naxos. As founding members of the International Piano Quartet they had the opportunity to record Stravinsky’s Les Noces under the direction of Robert Craft at the Abbey Road Studios in London. The CD first appeared on Koch International Classics and was re-released on Naxos. Their latest two releases on the Brilliant Classics label feature Marcel’s arrangement for 4 pianos of Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells and a collection of minimal music for multiple pianos (also featuring Marcel’s compositions)

The duo studied with Arie Vardi at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater, Hannover and with Jean-Eudes Vaillancourt at the Université de Montréal. They received first prize at the International Chamber Music Competition in Caltanissetta, Italy, and were laureates of The 4th Murray Dranoff International Two Piano Competition. In 1993 they became members of the young artists’ roster of Yehudi Menuhin-Live Music Now.

In addition to their performing careers they also enjoy teaching and working in other capacities in the music industry. Presently Elizabeth and Marcel are Directors of Concerts at the Langley Community Music School. Marcel held a position of Professor of Music at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario for several years.They have been on faculty at Mount Royal University and University of Calgary as well as being involved in various musical projects at The Banff Centre for the Arts. In 2004/2005, they served as Artistic Directors of The Murray Dranoff International Two Piano Competition and Foundation in Miami. They were members of the Calgary based group Land’s End Chamber Ensemble, recipients of the 2005 and 2006 Western Canadian Music Awards for Outstanding Classical Recording.

Committed to supporting the production of new repertoire, the duo has commissioned and premiered several works by Canadian composers such as Allan Gordon Bell and John Abram. Their extensive repertoire ranges from the baroque to the contemporary and includes numerous own arrangements and compositions.

Jeroen Van Veen
Dutch pianist and composer, Jeroen van Veen, the leading exponent of minimalism in Holland today, Alan Swanson (Fanfare)

Jeroen Van Veen (1969) started playing the piano at the age of 7. He studied at the Utrecht Conservatory with Alwin Bär and Håkon Austbö. In 1993 he passed the Performing Artists' Exam. Van Veen has played with orchestras conducted by Howard Williams, Peter Eötvös, Neal Stulberg and Robert Craft. He has played recitals in Austria, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Russia & the USA.

Van Veen attended master classes with Claude Helffer, Hans-Peter & Volker Stenzl and Roberto Szidon. He was invited to several festivals; Reder Piano Festival (1988), Festival der Kunsten in Bad Gleichenberg (1992), Wien Modern (1993), Holland Dance Festival (1998) Lek Art Festival (1996-2007). Van Veen recorded for major Dutch Radio- and Television companies like AVRO, NOS, IKON, NCRV, TROS/Internet, WTBC-TV & Radio (Florida, U.S.A.) and Moscow Television. In 1992, Van Veen recorded his first CD with his brother Maarten as the internationally recognized Piano duo Van Veen. In 1995 Piano duo Van Veen made their debut in the United States. They were prizewinners in the prestigious 4th International Murray Dranoff Two Piano Competition in Miami, Florida. After this achievement they toured the United States and Canada many times. The documentary "Two Pianos One Passion" (nominated with an Emmy Award 1996) documents them as a duo.

Besides performing, Jeroen is co-founder and artistic director of the International Student Piano Competition, which is held in Utrecht every two years. In 1995 Jeroen Van Veen founded the duo Sandra & Jeroen van Veen, a piano duo with Sandra Mol. As such, they mainly perform music for multiple pianos by Erik Satie, Douwe Eisenga and Simeon ten Holt. Furthermore, in 1999 Van Veen initiated a concert series ‘Pianova’ in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam. Beside his career as a solo pianist Van Veen also participates in the following ensembles: ‘Piano Ensemble’, ‘The International Piano Quartet’, ‘Piano Mania’, ‘DJ Piano’ and ‘Jeroen van Veen & Friends’.

The various compositions by Van Veen may be described as ‘Minimal Music’ with different faces, Crossovers to Jazz, Blues, Soundscape, Avant-Garde, Techno, Trance and Pop Music. Currently Mr. Van Veen is director of Van Veen Productions, Chairman of the Simeon ten Holt Foundation, Culemborg Cultural Foundation, Pianomania Foundation and artistic director of several music festivals in Culemborg, Utrecht and Veldhoven. He is active in the International Utrecht Student Piano Competition and the Murray Dranoff Two Piano Competition. Over the last 15 years Van Veen recorded more than 100 CDs for several labels (Mirasound, Koch, Naxos, Brilliant Classics) and his own label PIANO.