Orchestra

Amstelveens Symphony Orchestra (AmSO)

The Amstelveens Symphony Orchestra is an amateur orchestra consisting of around 30 accomplished musicians and advanced amateurs supported by professional musicians. The annual orchestra season includes at least two programmes performed at various venues in and near Amstelveen. AmSO also plays concerts in nursing homes in Amstelveen.

Repertoire

AmSO performs a variety of orchestral music from the standard symphonic repertoire, including the classical and romantic to impressionist periods — for example, works by Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Brahms, Dvořák, Debussy, and Ravel have been featured recently. Each programme features performances by esteemed soloists as well.

History

The AmSO was established on 28 January 1976 by an enthusiastic group of musicians who had played previously with the Schubert Orchestra. Conductor history: Kees van Hage was the first conductor (1976-1978) followed by Grzegorz Stasko (until 1990) then Saskia Boon led the orchestra until April 2013. Hans Scheepers took the baton until November 2014, followed by Rutger van Leyden (2014-2020)

Yvonne de Winter

Conductor since 2020
Yvonne has been with the AmSO since 2020. Yvonne studied oboe with Jan Spronk and Pauline Oostenrijk at the Amsterdam Conservatoire, where she graduated with her performer’s diploma in 1999. She also took conducting lessons with Jan Stulen. Yvonne plays oboe in the Amsterdam Philharmonia and the WYLD Quartet. In addition to her work as a performing musician, Yvonne teaches oboe at the Muziekplein in Ede. As a conductor, she leads not only the AmSO but also the Kamerorkest de Muziekkring in Laren, the Amstelveens Chamber Orchestra, and the chamber orchestra Opus 55 in Ede.

Yvonne de Winter, Conductor Since 2020

Sima Romanska

Concertmaster
Sima Romanska (born 1946) began her musical education in Kyiv at the age of five. She continued her studies at the R.M. Glier Music College in Kyiv and later at the A.V. Lunacharsky Conservatory in Minsk, where she studied under Professor Victor Goldfeld. In addition, she received private instruction from Professor Abraham Shtern, the long-serving concertmaster of the Kyiv Opera Orchestra (1947–1989).

At the age of sixteen, Sima commenced her professional career as a music school teacher, later combining her teaching with a position in the State Orchestra for Popular and Symphony Music of Ukraine. In 1989, she joined the orchestra of the T.G. Shevchenko Ukrainian National Opera.

Since settling in the Netherlands, Sima plays with the AmSO Orchestra, the Romansky Family String Ensemble, and the Ukraine Liberation Orchestra conducted by Jeroen Weierink.