Simon van der Geest

15 November 1935 Haarlem – 28 October 2001 Bellingwolde

Simon van der Geest sings

L'italiana in Algeri: Languir per una bella

Van der Geest studied at the conservatory in Amsterdam, and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg with Julius Patzak. He was primarily a concert singer, famous for his Evangelist in Bach's Matthäuspassion.

But from 1966 to 1985, he sang also opera in Amsterdam and other Dutch cities: Ferrando, Tamino, Don Basilio (Nozze di Figaro), Don Ottavio, Idamante, Almaviva in both Rossini's and Paisiello's Barbiere operas, Ernesto, Nemorino, Wilhelm Meister, Châteauneuf, Jeník and Vašek, Triquet, the Witch in Hänsel und Gretel, Alfred (Fledermaus), Altoum, Albert Herring, Nicolai's Fenton...

Both in his first opera performance (Tamino in Amsterdam) and in his last (Altoum in Scheveningen), Cristina Deutekom was his partner. He also sang a lot on radio and TV.

Reference 1: Dutch Divas; reference 2: Kutsch & Riemens; reference 3: Bach Cantatas; reference 4

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