The Dutch countertenor Gerben van der Werf made his operatic debut at the age of 12 as Erster Knabe in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. Having received a thorough vocal training at the Kampen Boys Choir, singing was such a natural part of his life that the young Dutchman did not consider pursuing a career as a professional singer, but went on to obtain graduate degrees in Chemistry, Physics, and History and Philosophy of Science at Utrecht University. However, the desire to sing and to nurture his lyrical talents became so prominent that he decided to change his career plans entirely, and instead dedicate his life to become an opera singer. He trained at the Dutch National Opera Academy with Selma Harkink and Margreet Honig and is one of the most exciting talents of his generation.

Already during his studies at Dutch National Opera Academy, Gerben made his debut at the Dutch National Opera as Sergei Diaghilev in the world premiere of Willem Jeths’ Ritratto (2020). Swiftly followed his international debut at Deutsches Nationaltheater Weimar as Helicon in Detlev Glanert’s Caligula. In the past years he performed roles such as the title roles of Giulio Cesare in Egitto (Handel), Cleopatra e Cesare (Graun), Orfeo ed Euridice (Gluck), as well as Friedrich Bhaer (Little Women, Adamo), Le Comte Barigoule (Cendrillon, Viardot) and Prinz Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus, Strauss). This led him to work with renowned conductors such as Christian Curnyn, Geoffrey Paterson, Shunske Sato, Benjamin Bayl, Paul Agnew, and Antony Hermus.

Highlights of the past seasons include Tolomeo in a successful production of Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto in Schlosstheater Schwetzingen for Nationaltheater Mannheim, Prince Athamas in a prize-winning production of Handel’s Semele (Best Opera – The Irish Times) with Akademie für Alte Musik, Philip Glass’s Akhnaten (Belgian National Orchestra, Bozar) and the release of his debut CD with Nederlandse Bachvereniging for AVROTROS ‘Klassiek Presenteert’ with baroque opera arias.

The coming season, is packed with some extraordinary music. To start Gerben will continue his Bach solo cantata series in his hometown Kampen with ‘Gott soll allein mein Herze haben’ (BWV 169), swiftly followed by the Finals of the International Vocal Competition ‘Theatre in Song’ in ‘s-Hertogenbosch with pianist Pieter Bogaert. The winter will see the premiere of Vivaldi’s Griselda at Oper Wuppertal, where Gerben will return as Roberto, followed by his debut at Staatstheater Augsburg in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea as Nerone.