Amarins Wierdsma

Amarins Wierdsma, born in 1991 to conductor Oane Wierdsma and clarinetist Nancy Braithwaite, began playing the violin at the age of two. From 1996 until 2009 she studied with the renown violin pedagogue Coosje Wijzenbeek. during which time she also played in the string ensemble The Fancy Fiddlers. From 2009 until 2013 she studied with Vera Beths at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. In 2013 she received her Bachelor’s degree at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. The Jury awarded her the mark ‘Cum Laude’. In her first year at the conservatory, Amarins starred in the Documentary, ‘Lost in Music‘ by Jaap van Eyck, representing the classical department of the school. Starting in September 2013 Amarins is studying at the Guildhall School of Music with David Takeno where she is pursuing an Artist Diploma of Music after having obtained her Master of Performance there in 2015.

Amarins took part in courses including: International Music Seminar Prussia Cove, The International Holland Music Sessions, London Masterclasses, Academy Lausanne, Kloster Schöntal, Keshet Eilon, Imuse Enghien, The Orlando Festival, Masterclasses Apeldoorn, During which, Amarins performed the Reger Clarinet Quintet together with clarinetist Charles Neidich, and the Peter de Grote Festival . At this last festival she received the Lamberte-Hoedemakers Prize. She has also been invited to participate in Open Chamber Music Prussia Cove and the East Neuk festival in Fife.

In April 2013 Amarins was awarded the third prize at the Dutch national violin competition Oskar Back. The jury complimented her on her large stage presence and personality and on her interesting playing full of temperament and spirit.

First prizes were awarded to her during the Iordens Viooldagen and the Davina van Wely violin competition. In December 2007 she was named Young Music Talent of the Year for the Netherlands. In 2009 she won a third prize in the National Final of the Princess Christina Concours and in October 2012, she has been awarded the Kersjes Scholarship. This is a great honor and a wonderful support for her future career. As a chamber musician Amarins has won multiple prizes, most recently the St James Quartet Prize 2015 with the Barbican Quartet and the Cavatina chamber music competition with her Morisot Trio.

Amarins is the first violinist of the London based Barbican String Quartet. The Quartet is part of the ProQuartet Scheme in Paris and the Belcea Quartet Scheme. They will take part in IMS Prussia Cove this April to have lessons with Rita and Ferenc Rados. In the past her ensembles have performed at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Wigmore Hall, Casa da Music and at the International Chamber Music Festival of which Janine Jansen is the artistic director. Amarins is not only very active as a chamber musician , she has also performed as soloist with orchestra in concertos by Bruch, Bach, Vivaldi(concerto for 4 violins with Eva van Haaften, Rosanne Philippens and Janine Jansen) Brahms, Mendelssohn and Sibelius among others. During the final of the Oskar Back competition she was the soloist with the orchestra of the conservatory of Amsterdam in Brahms’ violin concerto.

In April of the year 2011 Amarins went on tour with pianist Didel Bish and soprano, Nikki Treurniet, to The United States on invitation of the Netherlands-America Foundation. Amarins traveled to Porto, Portugal twice. Once with her piano trio, Strings Attached, and in 2015 with the Barbican String Quartet to represent the Conservatory of Amsterdam and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama at Harmos Festival. Representing the International Holland Music Sessions, Amarins performed together with Victor Alsén and Ole Christian Hagenrud for the Dutch Queen Beatrix in March 2013.
Together with Sophiko Simsive, piano, Amarins went on a tour to Indonesia, organized by the Dutch Erasmus Huis and she has recently been selected for the TIHMS Masters on Tour, bringing her to the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and Bratislava Concert halls. Amarins has participated in masterclass from many musicians , including Herman Krebbers, Gyorgy Pauk, Mark Lubotski, Emmy Verhey, Philippe Graffin, David Takeno, Krzysztof Wegrzyn, Petru Munteanu, Patinka Kopec, Mi-Kyung Lee, Isabelle van Keulen, Gerhard Schulz, Nikolaj Znaider, Viviane Hagner, Ferenc Rados, Andras Keller, Pierre Amoyal, Ivry Gitlis and Anner Bijlsma, from whom she often receives lessons on works by J. S. Bach. Amarins plays on a violin which she has on loan from the National Music instrument foundation.

website: www.amarinsmwierdsma.com