Henk Mak van Dijk

Henk Mak van Dijk first studied cultural anthropology in Utrecht University. Then he entered the Music Conservatory of Rotterdam and later on he studied piano on the Royal Music Conservatory in The Hague. His adventurous spirit brought him to Indonesia, where he taught at the Conservatory of Yogyakarta (ISI) and gave concerts on Java and Sulawesi. Upon his return to The Hague, he continued teaching (on the conservatories of Rotterdam and The Hague) and performing, also for Dutch radio and television.

His love for music and for Indonesia was combined in his research on European (mainly Dutch) composers in Indonesia, which resulted in a book that was published in co-operation with the National Dutch Music Institute: De oostenwind waait naar het westen (The Eastern Wind blows to the West) ‘Indisch’ composers, ‘Indisch’ compositions, 1898-1945. (Leiden, KITLV, 2007). Around the same time, he released a cd with classical songs from the Dutch-Indies: Angin timur gelombang barat, with Dutch soprano Renate Arends. Because of the interesting findings during the years of research, Henk Mak van Dijk was asked to set up an exhibition on ‘Classical Music in the Dutch-Indies’, which was inaugurated by H.M. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, on the Pasar Malam in The Hague in the summer of 2008. In the same year, the opera ‘Attima’, (about the last day in the life of a young Javanese dancer), by composer Constant van de Wall – long forgotten and newly discovered by Henk Mak van Dijk – was staged at the Royal Theatre in The Hague.
Also he presented his book in Yogya in 2008 and played on the Amazing Yogya Piano festival in 2009. The following years he continued to visit Java, with the aim to share his knowledge, f.e. in the University of Salatiga and to introduce the ‘Indisch’ music to Indonesian musicians.

Van Dijks latest cd-release is Herinneringen uit Java, classical piano music from the Dutch-Indies, with compositions by Dutch composers who were influenced by Indonesian culture.
In March 2011 Mak van Dijk wrote Wajang Foxtrot, Indië in klank en beeld, together with conservator Carl Nix, in co-operation with Museum Rotterdam, about music life in the Dutch East Indies. On the presentation of this book he played the long forgotten piece Saidjah, Ik weet niet waar ik sterven zal, an Elegy for cello and piano from 1860, composed by Richard Hol, inspired by the roman Max Havelaar. T