At the time of my birth, in 1936, the isle of Java was still a part of the Dutch East Indies. My father, Jacobus van Egmond, was a Dutchman straight from the province of Noord-Holland. He was an adventurous  young man, and agreed to be sent to the colonies by his boss in Amsterdam. In Semarang (Java), he first met my mother, whose family had already lived in the tropics for several generations.

For kids, pre-war colonial life was like a fairytale. But the Second World War put an abrupt end to that. First, we were shocked by the news that far-away Holland had been defeated by Germany. Then, the Japanese appeared on our doorstep, and occupied all of the Dutch East Indian Archipelago.

Camp

All the European inhabitants were eventually put into concentration camps. My mother and us children ended up behind the barbed wire of a women’s and children’s camp; my father was locked up in a men’s camp.

After liberation, our family was thankfully still intact. We found each other again, and were put on a waiting list to be transported to Holland. Eventually, we embarked on an American ship for troop transport. On board, I celebrated my tenth birthday.

Studying

Upon arrival in Holland, I needed remedial teaching, because of the war years. After elementary school, I went through secondary school and enrolled as a psychology student at the University of Utrecht. I even got a part-time job as a radio news reader. That made me familiar with microphones, gave me strong nerves, and taught me a great regard  for spoken language.

Singing

But all the time, I had felt the desire to sing… In childhood, my singing stood out; in  secondary school, I was a member of the school choir, and was given solo parts as well. At the age of 18, I became a member of the famous Dutch Bach Choir in the historical city of Naarden. Tine van Willigen was the ideal voice teacher for me. She had a good knowledge of different styles and advocated a natural and relaxed technique.

In 1959, I could afford to quit my job at the radio station and become a professional singer. Initially, I joined the internationally recognized Netherlands Chamber Choir, and I still  love choral singing. Then, as a soloist,  I traveled the world for over 40 years, singing oratorios, recitals and operas. I tried my luck at some international singing contests and won prizes in ’s-Hertogenbosch (Holland), Brussels and Munich.

Of course, over almost half a century, I have worked with many conductors, singers, accompanists and several directors. Many of those experiences [have] left me with happy memories. I’d love to mention them all, but for now, I’ll restrict myself to the conductors Hans Brandts Buys, Anthon van der Horst, Gustav Leonhardt and Nicolaus Harnoncourt, each of whom took me under his wing to show me the rich world of J.S.Bach.

In the meantime, did I have a private life?

Not much. My time and energy was mostly devoted to my work. Thus, my colleagues could be called my partners and the students my children. And, although I have lived in this 17th-century house in Amsterdam for 30 years, I know some hotels almost as well. I will always be grateful for having found some very good friends for life from several countries.

Recording

In the professional field, I owe much to Wolff Erichson, producer at Telefunken (later Teldec). He hired me for dozens of recordings of Bach oratorios and cantatas. In addition, he requested that I participate in recordings of Walther von der Vogelweide, Monteverdi, Purcell, Telemann, Beethoven, Schubert, Ravel and Reger. Moreover, he recorded my first solo recitals. Some of my recordings were even honored with Edison Awards.

Later, I recorded for many other labels, such as Harmonia Mundi, Ricercar (run by Jérôme Lejeune), Philips, Etcetera, Channel Classics and Musica Omnia (run by Peter Watchorn). The number of LP’s and CD’s is now probably into the hundreds (more information in the discography). On one occasion, I also felt extremely honored when the Queen of the Netherlands made me a Knight of the Order of Orange and Nassau.

Teaching

As the performances went on, I gained more experience in teaching and coaching. For nearly 25 years, I was on the faculty of both conservatories in Amsterdam. In addition, I still teach at annual summer courses of Early Music in , Ohio and in Mateus, Portugal.

In 1984, my Canadian friend buying viagra boots proposed the idea that a biography should be written. As a result, pharmacy support viagra wrote a book in Dutch, called “Max van Egmond, Toonaangevend Kunstenaar”, that was published by Thieme in Zutphen.

Retirement

When, in 1999, I decided to cut down on official solo appearances, I immediately joined the viagra prescription private in Amsterdam. With them, I’m able to perform a Bach cantata every month as part of a church service. By doing so, I haven’t had to say farewell to the composer with whom it all began in Naarden in 1955… and with whom I hope to continue for many years to come.