- Vonk, Hans
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▪ 2005Dutch conductor (b. June 18, 1942?, Amsterdam, Neth.—d. Aug. 29, 2004, Amsterdam), excelled in the works of Romantic composers; he was much respected for his musicianship and for his many fine recordings. His first professional appointment was as conductor for the Dutch Ballet in 1966, and he became assistant conductor at Amsterdam's Concertgebouw in 1969. Vonk served as conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic (1973–79) and chief conductor of the Netherlands Opera (1976–85) and of the Residentie Orchestra in The Hague (1980–91), while making guest appearances throughout the world. Outside The Netherlands, he was associate conductor of London's Royal Philharmonic in 1976–79. He was appointed director of both the Staatskapelle and the Staatsoper of Dresden (then in East Germany) in 1985 and took over the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Cologne, Ger., in 1991. Vonk was chief conductor of the St. Louis (Mo.) Symphony Orchestra from 1996 until a degenerative nerve disease forced him to retire in 2002.
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Universalium. 2010.
