Gerben Houba

Gerben Houba has been a full-time classical singer since 2003, after a period of 12 years in which he combined his active singing life with a study of economics and a job as an asset manager.

Since he has been focusing fully on his professional singing career, he is a much sought-after soloist in the fields of oratorio, opera and music theatre, as well as an active ensemble singer with various professional companies. Furthermore, he is co-founder of Vocal Quartet Quatre Bouches.

On the advice of his music teacher Cees Mobach, Gerben started singing lessons at the age of seventeen. The following people have also been important to his development as a performing singer: conductor Daniel Reuss, singing teacher Geert Berghs, breathing coach Paul Triepels and director Maarten Vonk. Gerben followed master classes with Margreet Honig and Kurt Equiluz. His current coach is Marcel Reijans. In 2010 Gerben received the Honorary Award for outstanding Musicianship at the Peter the Great Festival in Groningen.

Gerben was soloist in several productions in the field of opera and music theatre. He sang the title role in Orfeo by Monteverdi, Ismaële in Nabucco by Verdi, Cinna in La Vestale by Spontini, the title role in the world premiere of Dichtertje by Harke Jan van der Meulen, Thyeste by Jan van Vlijmen and had a major double role in Cajanus, a gigantic opera by Egon Kracht.
In the traditional oratorios, Gerben is a versatile soloist with a repertoire ranging from Baroque to Modern. It is impossible to be complete here, but regularly recurring works are the St Matthew and St John Passions by Bach (in which he sings both the arias and the evangelist part), the Petite Messe Solennelle by Rossini, the Requiem by Mozart, the Messiah by Handel and the Stabat Mater by Haydn. Examples of more modern works in which Gerben performs the tenor solo are Strawinsky's Cantata, Canticum Simeonis by Barbe, The Volnich Cyphermanuscript by Kyburz and Sonnengesang by Goebaidoelina.

Gerben was a member of the permanent ensemble of Cappella Amsterdam from 1995 to 2011. At present he is associated with the Groot Omroepkoor. As a substitute he occasionally sings with companies such as De Nationale Opera, the Nederlands Kamerkoor and Collegium Vocale Gent.

More information can be found at www.gerbenhouba.com.