Eindhoven Symphony Orchestra in short
From “breeding ground” to full-fledged symphony orchestra
THE BEGINNING
When Jan Brussen became conductor of Philips Recreation Association (POV) and came to the orchestra class, he asked why the orchestra class actually had no board and why they never gave performances. (The intention of the orchestra class was that inexperienced musicians could gain some orchestral experience in this small orchestra and then, if they were good enough and there was a place available in the POV, they would be allowed to play in it.) It turned out that there was only a teacher in the orchestra class who faithfully collected the membership fee and handed it over to the treasurer of P.0.V. A board was set up with Chris Velzel as chairman, the teacher of the membership fee as treasurer and Frits ten Haaf as secretary. The latter later became chairman.
The name of the orchestra class was from that moment on POV II and performances were organised. In 1960 both P.0.V.'s were taken over by Louis Stotijn. The rehearsals of the P.0.V.II were for years in a room above an old nursery school, which now houses the Philips library and the clay and senior citizens' club. However, the orchestra could never really get up to speed, because it was constantly skimmed off by POV. In 1967, when vd Peet took over the orchestra from Stotijn, the rehearsals were from then on in the upstairs room of café "De Kroon", where they rehearsed from 8 to half past ten.
The name also changed again: the Philips Klein Symfonieorkest. At that time, the Eindhovens Studenten Muziek Gezelschap (ESMG orchestra) was founded from the TH, which meant that quite a few members who would otherwise have gone to the POV went to that ESMG. After vd Peet, Schooren became conductor and because 'the hayloft' (the upper room of café "De Kroon") was demolished, ten Haaf was given permission to use the Helikonzaal in the Philips Ontspanningscentrum (POC) for the time being. A new conductor followed: Guy van Woerdekom.
FOUNDATION OF ORCHESTRA ASSOCIATION “HELIKON”
The orchestra had only 15-20 members and the future looked bleak. Ghis Nelissen, a student who was in both P.0.V.II and the ESMG orchestra, proposed to merge the two orchestras. The ESMG, at the time led by Jacques Wijnen, had 11 members; 4 1st violins, 2 2nd violins, 2 altos, 2 cellos and 1 oboe. After ten Haaf had attended a rehearsal of the ESMG, joint rehearsals were held from May 1969 under the direction of Jacques Wijnen. The founding meeting was on 11 December 1969. The entire company was invited. The founding took place on 1 January 1970. A competition eventually led to the name “Eindhovense Orkestvereniging Helikon”. Jacques Wijnen and Frits ten Haaf remain the spiritual fathers of the Helikon Orchestra through all their efforts.
The name Helikon is a coincidence, because the orchestra initially rehearsed in the Helikon Hall of the now demolished Philips Recreation Center (POC). But Helikon means more: in Greek mythology, Mount Helikon was also the place where the muses, the patron goddesses of the arts, had their home. Quite soon there was also an internal newsletter: “Parlando”.
THE FIRST PERIOD WITH CONDUCTOR JACQUES WIJNEN
Browsing through 50 years of scrapbooks about our orchestra, it is noticeable that Helikon worked a lot with choirs in the early years. This is not surprising with Jacques Wijnen as conductor. He conducted various choirs, including his Madrigal choir. There were also many contacts with singing soloists, even within his own family with Jack Wijnen and Marijke Wijnen-van de Griendt.
Helikon originated partly from the student orchestra of the Technical University of Applied Sciences, and since its inception, the orchestra has given an annual afternoon concert in the auditorium by invitation, offered to the people of Eindhoven on the occasion of the Dies Natalis celebration. Here's a glimpse into how it went back then. read in Leo Strijbosch's story that we were able to record such a concert in 1971On November 22, 1975, Helikon introduced the “Concert with Young Soloists” at the Eindhoven City Theatre, later the Philips Recreation Center.
Concerts follow with clarinetist Marcel Hendriks, cellist Ceciel Knaven, conductor Jacques van Steen, violinist Isabelle van Keulen and cellist Johan van Iersel. On 16 December 1973 Helikon gives a concert in the Gerarduskerk on the Car-Free Sunday! No problem, because Helikon rents a bus and maps out a route to pick up all members and bring them back.
On May 5, 1976, a tradition is started with the Chamber Music Evening, where Jacques Wijnen regularly performs as pianist/accompanist. Other qualities of the orchestra members also come to the fore with home-made cakes and pies.
Soloists at Helikon are often famous Dutch people, such as: Theodora Geraerts, Vera Beths, Marco Bakker, Daniel Wayenberg, Louis van Dijk, Edwin Rutten (narrator) and Berdien Stenberg. The family concert with Edwin Rutten takes place in the Sint-Petruskerk in Oirschot and the Magdalenakerk in Geldrop. He tells two fables by Jean de la Fontaine, set to music by Antoon Maessen, to the mostly young audience. He explains that amateur musicians do something different in everyday life and asks a number of orchestra members what kind of profession they have. He also asks Petra with her brightly colored hair. She even has to stand on her chair to be admired! (She is a hairdresser, by the way).
From 1969 to 2000, Helikon was led by Jacques Wijnen.
A separate chapter is formed by the orchestral trips to France (Bayeux) 1987, Poland (Lublin) 1990, Hungary (Kecskemet) 1993, Liechtenstein 1996 and China 2005/2006. In Lublin, the hotel is broken into during the party night. Jacques' clothes and Tijs' trombone are the loot.
Even more goes wrong in Hungary: a smoking Hungarian bus, mixed up clothes during the changing for the concert, with one person wearing trousers that are too short and the other too long, the double-decker bus that does not fit under the viaduct, Miriam banging her drum during the concert, no more water from the tap when returning late at night and the bus getting stuck in the mud.
THE SECOND PHASE WITH CONDUCTOR KIAN PIN HIU
From 2000 to 2007, Helikon was led by Kian Pin Hiu. Under his leadership, the then-former Helikon was one of the first amateur symphony orchestras to embark on a concert tour to China. What an experience! Signing autographs after a concert, eating with chopsticks, soup served at the end of the meal, the temples, the markets, and especially: the restrooms. Concert tours foster camaraderie and certainly enhance the social character of an orchestra. Members come and go, but the spirit of Helikon has always endured.
THE THIRD PHASE WITH CONDUCTOR DAAN ADMIRAL
Early 2009, Daan Admiraal became our permanent conductor. Together with him, Helikon continued the musical development that had been initiated. The orchestra was given a new name on 1 September 2010: Symfonieorkest Eindhoven and a new house style and logo. A period of development of the orchestra was initiated, which led to the first performance of a Mahler symphony in December 2013.
The TU/e concert is also gradually transformed into a concert aimed at (young) children. By working together with actors, classical music is mixed with a visualized exciting story into an immersive experience. After the concert, with the collaboration of Centrum voor de Kunsten Eindhoven, violin maker Zick and music store Toon's Muziek, there is an instrument gallery where the children can try out the instruments themselves.
At the end of 2012/2013 there was a second very successful concert tour to China with three concerts in Beijing and two in Tianjin.
THE FOURTH PHASE WITH CONDUCTOR QUENTIN CLARE
After this period, a short period with changing conductors (Bas Pollard, Lucas Vis) begins. With Bas Pollard, the orchestra made a short but very successful concert tour to Alsace in 2015, with concerts in Orschwiller and Strasbourg.
Since 2017, British conductor Quentin Clare has been our maestro. Quentin studied composition, piano and conducting in the United Kingdom with Andrew Mogrelia and did his bachelor's and master's degrees in conducting at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague with Jac van Steen, Ed Spanjaard and Micha Hamel. Under his leadership, the orchestra has gained a lot in quality and he is a great source of inspiration for the orchestra through his great musical passion.
The orchestra has managed to conquer its own unique place in the Eindhoven musical landscape in the past decades. The orchestra now has approximately 60 permanent members from the Eindhoven region and beyond; most members of the orchestra are advanced amateurs, a number have received a music education.
Projects are regularly carried out with music groups and choirs from the region. For example, the orchestra cooperated with the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of Eindhoven in October 2017 with the Royal Male Choir La Bonne Espérance. But also the performance of the “Carmina Burana” by Carl Orff with residents of the Vonderkwartier district in Eindhoven was a great success. Rehearsals are now held in the new auditorium of the Augustinianum.
GOLDEN JUBILEE: Ode to Joy
As a preliminary highlight we mention the 50th anniversary of the orchestra in December 2019, with the performance of the 9and Beethoven's symphony, in collaboration with the Philips' Philharmonic Choir. We would like to continue to grow musically in the coming decades and enjoy the joy that making music brings to all of us!
On May 22, 2025, Quentin retired from the orchestra to focus his career in the United Kingdom.
Michiel van Vliet (born 1982) has been the conductor of the Eindhoven Symphony Orchestra since August 2025. He has more than 15 years of experience conducting symphony orchestras in Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam, and Gorinchem.
