Biography
Gerben Mourik
Obtained the diplomas Uitvoerend Musicus 1e fase plus the organ improvisation endorsement and his Master Uitvoerend Musicus (with organ & improvisation as main subjects) at the Brabants Conservatorium in Tilburg. His teachers were Bram Beekman and Henco de Berg. He also took private lessons with Ansgar Wallenhorst, Naji Hakim and Ben van Oosten.
Courses in improvisation were taken with Thierry Escaich and Loïc Maillé.
He has been organist of the Grote- of St. Michaelskerk in Oudewater since July 2006.
Gerben participated in various improvisation competitions and won 1st prize at the National Organ Improvisation Competition in Zwolle (2003). In 2005, he won 1st prize at the International Organ Improvisation Competition in St. Albans (UK). In 2008, he won the International Improvisation Competition in Haarlem; the jury unanimously awarded Mourik this prize.
In April 2013, he was appointed City Organist of Oudewater. In June 2015, he graduated as Church Musician I from the Utrecht Conservatoire. In July 2023, he graduated as School Musician 1st grade / CKV at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. He is a music teacher at Driestar College in Lekkerkerk.
In the CD series 'Audite Nova', ten instruments popularly called 'neo-baroque' (built between 1950-1975) were documented on 5 CDs with a wide selection of organ music from the 20th century. This project received (inter)national acclaim.
In 2021, his 25th anniversary as an organist was celebrated with the release of a CD from the Dom Church in Utrecht (5 stars in Choir & Organ). This includes works by Duruflé, Escaich, Pepping and Damjakob, among others. Also released that same year was a CD of concert improvisations from St Eustache in Paris (5 stars on organnieuws.nl). In the same year, together with Jaco van den Berg and Aldert van Hoornaar, a website about Jan Bonefaas was set up, where a large amount of documentation about this remarkable musician in image and sound is available to everyone, see www.janbonefaas.nl.
He also publishes regularly as a reviewer and on the interpretation of music from the era of the so-called 'Orgelbewegung'. Spring 2020, for example, an article on H-F Micheelsen appeared in the British magazine Choir & Organ. From January 2016, he has also been on the editorial board of the church music magazine Laetare.
In September 2017, a new musical duo was established with recorder player Magda de Jong under the title 'Musica Miniatura' in which two pillars form the basis: Children's concerts and performances at venues where no keyboard instrument(s) are present.
This was followed in October 2017 by an appointment as house organist and artistic director at 'the City of Klundert'. In the former church building he is thus involved in promoting the two Marcussen (28 voices) and Vermeulen (42 voices) organs during concerts, workshops, open playing days & gatherings such as lectures, weddings and farewells....
In addition, the concert series offers a wide range of other genres such as chamber music, Jazz, world music and music combined with dance, film or visual art.
For more information, please visit Gerben at www.gerbenmourik.nl or at his YouTube channel.
He has an active concert practice in which two elements are central: promoting Dutch music and the art of improvisation. The latter skill also forms the basis of his teaching practice in Oudewater and Klundert.
Finally, he is a regular jury member at (improvisation) competitions, such as in Haarlem and Dordrecht.
