Postdoctoral Scholar University of Sydney

Dr. Koen van Stade is a performing scholar, researcher and educator. He attained a Ph.D. from the University of Sydney, where he currently holds a position as Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Historical Performance Faculty, focussing on 18th- and 19th century vocal styles. Together with early keyboard specialist Professor Neal Peres Da Costa, Koen is engaged to record repertoire from this era for the international record label Deux-Elles.

Koen received his initial training as a boy soprano in the St Laurence Cathedral Choir in Alkmaar, The Netherlands. He went on to study singing with Peter Kooij and Max van Egmond; Church Organ with Jos van der Kooy; Conducting with Harold Lenselink and Church Music at both Amsterdam Conservatorium and The Royal Conservatory of The Hague. He specialised in Gregorian Chant at the Schola Cantorum Amsterdam focussing extensively on the Hartker Manuscript with Professor Eugeen Liven d’Abelardo who also fostered his interest in the Phenomenology of Music.

During his undergraduate studies, Koen had already begun working as soloist and ensemble member of the most prestigious Early Music groups in Europe, including Collegium Vocale Gent (Philippe Herreweghe) and The Amsterdam Baroque Choir (Ton Koopman). He sang more than 2,000 concerts in major international cities on every continent with these ensembles, recording over 70 CDs and hundreds of radio and television broadcasts. Several of these CDs were awarded international prizes including the Diapason d’Or, the Edison Award, the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik, the Prix de Betancourt, the Choc de la Musique and the BBC Music Magazine Award. With The Gesualdo Consort Amsterdam, Koen participated in the premiere recording of the complete works of Dutch composer Sweelinck. This project resulted in a 20 CD collection.

Since 2012, Koen has been Vocal and Organ Tutor at Sydney Grammar School and is a regular Guest Lecturer at the Geneva University of Music. He has also held the positions of Academic Tutor at St John’s College, University of Sydney. Principal Lay Clerk and Director of the Cathedral Scholars at St Mary’s Cathedral Sydney and Principal Artist at The Song Company