From Holland, the Netherlands, to Holland, Mich., Jan Mulder’s musical talent soars.
By MYRON KUKLA From the December/January 2008 Issue
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Lake Magazine covers the hottest information on the Lake Michigan area.
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After conducting in the Netherlands and tickling the ivories in concert halls from London to Moscow, Jan Mulder now calls Holland, Mich., home. Here, the renowned pianist, composer and conductor tells LAKE why he moved his family across oceans.
Lake: You’ve been a successful pianist, composer and conductor, making DVDs with the London and Moscow symphonies. Why leave Europe for the United States?
Mulder: I came here to expand my career and attract a larger audience for my music and my concerts. Europe is a small market in comparison to America, and the opportunities here are much broader. I’ve been here a little more than a year and have performed in concert with a 160-member symphony and choir, released a new CD in June called “Coming to America,” and produced a concert DVD. And yes, I am aware the title Coming to America is also the title of an Eddie Murphy movie.
How did you come to pick Holland, Mich., as your home base?
I was on a tour of Canada and the United States in 1992, and I performed in Holland and was attracted to the large Dutch culture here. I thought this would be a good place to settle because I would be able to speak Dutch to people and have a cultural link to my country. My family also loves Lake Michigan and the beaches. Plus, this area is very centrally located. I can be anywhere in the United States in five or six hours.
What was the hardest thing about leaving the Netherlands?
The Netherlands is a small country, so I knew all of the important critics and television and radio people. Here, I've had to start from scratch to meet these people and make contacts. We also sold our beautiful 20-room home built in 1739 that had a concert hall where I gave weekly concerts. And I left my biggest fan, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, who has all my CDs and for whom I have performed on many occasions at the Dutch Royal Palace.
Where is your musical career headed these days?
Right now, my manager and I are working on developing some large audience concerts for Chicago, New York, the West Coast and Florida for next year. We are also looking at national television, maybe through PBS, and talking with companies to develop movie scores for Hollywood and the developing Michigan movie industry, which is starting to take root along the Lake Michigan shore.
How does the U.S. music world stand up to Europe and other places?
This is a very good place for live music concerts. The audiences here appreciate good music. In pop music, I think we are looking at the end of a musical cycle with hip-hop and rap. People are looking for something new in music. We are getting close to a major change in popular music, something similar to another Beatles revolution.
Your three sons – Matthew, Simeon and Gabriel – are featured in many of your concerts playing six-handed, eight-octave pieces you composed or arranged for one piano. What are their future plans?
They come from a family of musicians. My grandfather, Jan Mulder, played organ and piano and was a conductor. Simeon will likely follow in my footsteps. The other boys are very good musicians – but they like the beach, riding Wave Runners and working on the computer, too.
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