Mathieu van Bellen

Photo © Andrei Grilc

Mathieu van Bellen was born in the Netherlands and started studying the violin in Belgium with Nico Baltussen. He continued with Jan Repko, first at the Amsterdam Conservatoire and at Chethams School of Music in Manchester, for which he was awarded a scholarship by The VandenEnde Foundation. He continued at the Royal College of Music, London with Itzhak Rashkovsky and at the Hochschule für Musik, Berlin, with Ulf Wallin. He had masterclasses with Ida Haendel, Shlomo Mintz, Pinchas Zukerman, Maxim Vengerov and Bernard Greenhouse.

Laureate of Yehudi Menuhin Competition, Wieniawski Competition, Prinses Christina Competition and Oskar Back Competition he is also a recipient of MBF, RPS Emily Anderson Prize, Philharmonia Martin Musical Scholarship Fund Awards and Making Music Awards. He was also awarded the Bach Prize and the String Player of the Year 2008 at the Royal College of Music. He has given concerts in Europe, Asia and the USA, playing in major music festivals like Festspiele MV in Germany, and Chamber Music Festivals all over Europe. He has appeared several times on television and radio, and he performed in halls like the Purcell Room at the Southbank Centre, Royal Festival Hall London, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Tel Aviv Opera House, and Megaron in Athens, performing with orchestras such as the National Orchestra of Belgium, International Mahler Orchestra, Holland Symfonia, Southbank Sinfonia, and Camerata Athena. He is also currently the concertmaster of the European Union Youth Orchestra.

Violinist of the Busch Ensemble, a London based piano trio, Mathieu is an active chamber musician, having played chamber music concerts with artists like Shlomo Mintz, Michael Collins and Bruno Giuranna.

His first CD was released in November 2014, with solo works by Bach, Blaha and Bartók.

Mathieu plays on the ex-Adolf Busch J.B. Guadagnini violin (Turin, 1783), on loan to him thanks to private sponsorship, for which he is most grateful.