about Tsaar Saltaan, prins Guidoon en de Zwaan

“Dolf de Kinkelder. I have worked with him at Jeugdtheater Kwatta before – we made IJssprookje and Vlucht together – and I was very enthusiastic about it. When I ask Dolf to make music, it is like bringing your Opel Kadett to the garage and getting a Ferrari back. If I get my lyrics back from him on music then it has become exceptionally beautiful!”

I worked together with Dolf de Kinkelder from 2004 – 2008, when I was conductor of the Crescendo percussion group in Ooy – Zevenaar (NL.) Dolf wrote his piece ‘CrissCross’ for this ensemble, to perform at the World Music Contest in Kerkrade, 2005. It was a very innovative composition at that time and it…
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I consider it as a great honour having been able to cooperate with Dolf for more than 33 years – at first as a student, later as a colleague. He is one of the men who made me who I am today. A real pleasure, with nothing but valuable memories.

“I was very impressed by Kinkelder’s pieces; really an asset to the percussion repertoire”

“Dolf de Kinkelder is a very creative teacher who‘s always looking for a fresh way to adjust himself to each of his students. He focuses on their strongest abilities and lets them…
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about TAO II Augmented, which he conducted several times

“It’s a briljant piece, really very well structured”

“What can you say about Dolf? When he composes his stagemusik, the songs feel like a measured dinnerjacket that fits you like a glove. Aria’s, songs – both classic and modern – he lets you sing…
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about Rake Klappen

“Thank you for a variety of music! There are some FABULOUS musicians in the ensemble. The level of concentration and individual control is to be commended! Bravo!

about De Waoterwolf

“The direction of Theo Soontiëns, the beautiful lighting and the excellent sound decor by Dolf de Kinkelder create all the conditions to tell an exciting story.”

about Shuffle Chimes Song

“Just MAGICAL! And a stunning performance!”

about Machine Machine

“What a Machine! Very impressive”

“Machine Machine

“A highly ambitious choice, this very contemporary composition. Extremely high artistic quality!”

about Shuffle Chimes Song

“Very atmospheric and tasteful! A fantastic piece!”

about Machine Machine

“A very bold choice!! However: fantastically performed! Despite the complexity of the composition, it’s almost as if everyone is doing well easily. My compliments !!”

about Waanzin

“From the very beginning I have enjoyed the sounds, the variation, the beautiful concentration of the group.
Your explanation at the beginning was a regal opening. Such wonderful lines, subtle quips and above all…

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“Waanzin is a wonderful (music theatre) program. Composed with craftsmanship and inspiration. Appreciation for that!”

“Waanzin is by far the best I’ve seen and heard in years, especially Digital Stress is totally totally good!”

“Finally all compliments for the 4 compositions of Waanzin. The combination of cohesion and diversity is very strong! In addition, the finishing and the craftsmanship make a big splash. My personal favorite is the middle part of…
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about Waanzin

“Once you were kidding that you were aiming to become the best composer in the world. Unfortunately you ‘ll have to find a new goal in life now: Waanzin was really Madness; it belongs definitely to the best I ever heard…
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“Then Crescendo switches to CrissCross from Dolf de Kinkelder. Pure percussion, written especially for this group. CrissCross consists of constantly changing rhythms on a lot of instruments. Smooth, delicious percussion. Suddenly they are all in front. Red sticks batter…
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about Funeral Blues

“Most impressive opening ever experienced!!”

about Funeral Blues

“Very dramatic opening and a great blend of colors and tones. The music is very descriptive and atmospheric.”

about Funeral Blues

“As a whole highly impressive!”

about Funeral Blues

“Minutes of applause. After an immense silence. Preceded by unholy violence. Lamentation. Cutting through the soul. Heartbreaking lines of poetry. And breathtaking vibraphone, circular sawblades and glockenspiel.”

referring to a concert of Orchestra de ereprijs at Amphion Doetinchem

“And then came the premiere: De Verloedering 2 by Dolf de Kinkelder. A piece of which one can conclude that it was made by an intelligent craftsman: a contrapuntal style – which is even to the listener transparent – a huge climax…
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“De Verloedering 2 is an asset. The piece fits Ereprijs as a tailor-made suit, in terms of both instrumentation and repertoire. The middle part is very rhythmic and has a Bigband-like character. In addition,…
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referring to a concert at De Doelen Rotterdam

“Between two mainly craftsman pieces, Dolf de Kinkelder’s Cartastraccia for soprano saxophone and ensemble was striking considering his consistent and well-constructed argument, with non-enforced but unmistakable Swing.”

referring to Neergeslagen Ogen, with which Dolf won the jury- and choir prize

“An exemplary combination of text and music.”

“A composition of 5 minutes that can be rehearsed in half an hour. That was the assignment of the Composition Competition “30 jaar Brabant Koor”. Objective: new appropriate repertoire for non-professional choirs. The jury and choir prize… went to Neergeslagen Ogen by Dolf de Kinkelder, who best met the criteria. “An exemplary combination of text and music” according to jury chairman Gilles Michels.”
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about Cartastraccia

“The name Dolf de Kinkelder should be remembered well from now on. He has managed to develop into an inventor of music with a very original face within a short time. And a far-developed soundcapability that enables him…

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about De Verloedering 3

“De Kinkelder? De Kinkelder. If Het Gelders Orkest plays Dvorak in Winterswijk, Bruckner in Doetinchem, Grieg in Tiel, Bernstein in Arnhem, Keuris in Nijmegen, why shouldn’t they play De Kinkelder Zutphen? Messiaen-like unisons in strings…
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“De Verloedering 3 by Dolf de Kinkelder, with which Het Gelders Orkest started his Sunday matinee in the Nijmegen Vereeniging, remains a piece written very well for the orchestra. There is a good and well built up…
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referring to CrissCross and Funeral Blues

“The percussionists of Slagwerkgroep Crescendo Zevenaar are leading at the international music congress WASBE in Ireland, july 2007. Because of the level of the musicians, but also because the repertoire of Crescendo is amazingly innovative.”

about cabaret artist Mars Teunisz

“Of good level are also the lyrics about love and inability with dazzling music by Dolf de Kinkelder.”

referring to Dolf’s graduation with The Prize for Composition of the Rotterdam Conservatory

“It is also far from usual that someone is so versatile. What is striking about Dolf de Kinkelder, however, is that he makes equally impressive music in all areas. In fact, his tight relationship with Jazz and Pop leaves its mark, even in his “contemporary” works,…
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“Also very special was Funeral Blues, in which in a melancholy way – also by a saxophone that exceeds its range for more than an octave – the brilliant tone is set for a mourning, in which the rather diverse emotions are subtly expressed.”

about CrissCross

“And, quite surprisingly, treat your audience to a rain of strokes on tincans and the effect of the dialogue between a handful of gravel and a small zinc bucket. Quite fascinating, surprising, varied and very interesting.”

But Stemmen is mainly intrinsically sharp and layered youth theater, full of comedy, music and drama, in which the musicality of Theatre can be fully explored.”

about Stemmen

“Very well done!”

about Tsaar Saltaan, prins Guidoon en de Zwaan

“During the whole performance the stage is also for the musicians of Het Gelders Orkest. They hardly play a role, literally, but figuratively – by means of the compositions of Dolf de Kinkelder – they provide a large part of the atmosphere, the tension and the thrill, as if it were film music.”

about Tsaar Saltaan, prins Guidoon en de Zwaan

“Five members of Het Gelders Orkest fill the open structure of this deliciously from left to right zigzagging story with all kinds of ethnic- and operamusic of composer Dolf de Kinkelder. They chase low basstones through an instigating midrange to high chirping music, from instruments like clarinet, baritonesaxophone, violin and cello.”

“Funeral Blues, composed by Dolf de Kinkelder, was a setting of a poem of the same name by W. H. Auden. The piece began with a 50 – second sound mass, a deafening scream of noise performed by the sixteen players…

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“CrissCross, composed by Dolf de Kinkelder, was certainly the high-light of the entire concert. The eighteen-minute work for fifteen percussionists was written not only for Crescendo PE, but for the specific members of the ensemble. The score has all of the names of the players on the left of each page replacing where instrument names would…
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about Tsaar Saltaan, prins Guidoon en de Zwaan

“The sea that separates the tzar from his beloved wife and son surges with jealousy and envy. Good and evil play with each other like cat and mouse. The music of Dolf de Kinkelder is not pretentious fairytale music but carries the play with vigorous quips.”

about CrissCross and Funeral Blues:

“It was fortunate that those of us from outside of Europe could have the opportunity to see such a presentation.”