Melissa’s life and career

Melissa Venema lives in Zaandam and she was born on the 12th of April 1995. When she was a little child she loved wind instruments and thus she started to play the recorder when she was 6 years old at Soli Deo Gloria, a band in Zaandam. When she was 8 years old, she switched instruments: the recorder was replaced by the trumpet. This turned out to be a very good choice indeed. After a few lessons, her teacher, Marjan Politiek, said: “she is a real talent at this instrument”. When she was 9 years young, Melissa played trumpet solos in several churches. To improve her skills she also took lessons with Bert Hendrix, a famous Dutch trumpet player. She then played the trumpet in several orchestra’s.

In December 2005 Melissa attended an audition at the Conservatorium of Amsterdam. She succeeded easily, and as a result, she immediately started her trumpet training with Mr. Frits Damrow, who is a world famous trumpet player and professor in music. At the time, he was principal trumpet player with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. He published some excellent studies, such as “Fitness for Brass”.

On April 22, 2006, Mr. Damrow prepared Melissa for the entrance examination for the Young Talent Class of the Conservatorium of Amsterdam. Melissa passed effortless and started her classical study with Mr. Damrow. Simultaneously, Melissa kept attending primary school. At this stage of her career Melissa performed as a solo trumpet player in several parts of Holland. Melissa gave many classical as well as religious concerts with him. She also performed with several choirs from Holland and with famous Dutch artists like Liselotte Rokyta, Martin de Deugd, Carla Leurs and Yta van der Zwaag.

In the summer of 2006 Melissa participated in a summer project, where she was the only one to play an eight and a half minute solo from the play “Concerto for Trumpet and Youth Band” by Erik Waerts, a Dutch renown composer. Melissa was the youngest ever selected. The whole concert was recorded on CD. Erik Waerts sent Melissa a very personal greeting card with the text: "thank you very much for the beautiful playing of my trumpet concerto. I wish you all the best and success in your (trumpet) future"! At an audition Melissa was selected for the well known Dutch semi professional flourish orchestra of Gelderland (province of the Netherlands) and on the 13th of January 2007 in Wezep, she performed very successfully with this orchestra.

At the end of 2006 Melissa was playing at a level so high, that the instrument she was playing reached its limits. She then put her beloved trumpet aside to welcome a brand new, professional, hand crafted Yamaha trumpet.

The famous Dutch producer Bert Moll published a CD with Melissa in 2007. This CD, called "Melissa voor U", is nationwide available and also in the music shop "De Bazuin" in Putten. Reviews that appeared in the press can be read on our website: www.melissavenema.nl

On the 28th and 29th of April 2007 Melissa performed at `Hour of Power`in Dutch cities Apeldoorn and Leiden, After her performance she got a very long standing ovation. It was thrilling for Melissa to play for thousands of people. Rev. Schuller and his wife Donna carry Melissa in their heart, as many other listeners do. Her warm, clear sound is a bringer of joy to many. When she talked to Jan van de Bosch, it became clear that her warm personality is as much as a talent as her trumpet playing.

On Sunday the 29th of April 2007, Melissa appeared in a television an interview with Jan van de Bosch. This interview was broadcasted in the program “Hour of Power” by RTL5.

On June the 6th, 2007 Melissa played at a Lunch Concert in the Small Hall of the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, together with a few others from the Young Talented Musicians Class. She played Sonatina for trumpet and piano by Alexander von Kreisler and she was accompanied on the piano by Femke de Graaf.

On August 18th, 2007, a dream came true. Melissa played as a soloist at the Prinsengracht concert in Amsterdam. The atmosphere outside in the magnificent setting of the typical Amsterdam houses, combined with the golden sound of Melissa’s trumpet, was as if heaven had descended on earth. This concert was live broadcasted by the AVRO, a Dutch television broadcasting company.

In the end of the summer of 2007, from August 31 to September 12, Melissa was on a solo tour in South Africa. It was a thrill watching all the crowds cheer for her. She performed all over the country for many large audiences. The concert tour was a great success and Melissa conquered the hearts of many South Africans. On her website, choose the link “press” to find out more about this tour.

On September 30, 2007, Melissa has played solo very successfully in the great hall of the “Zaantheater” in Zaandam. She was accompanied by the Promenade Orchestra, led by Bas Pollard. Melissa played the Andante from Haydn’s famous Trumpet Concerto and she played “The Russian Dance”, by Oskar Böhme. In the press, she was praised for her warm, convincing tone.

On Christmas Eve 2007, Melissa made her solo debut in the big hall of the “Concertgebouw” in Amsterdam. It was an overwhelming experience for Melissa, playing in the same concert hall where so many soloists have touched the heart of music itself. The audience was astonished to see and hear a 12 year old girl in this historical building, playing like an angel. All the composers of the past must have smiled in heaven when she played. Several times that night she got a thunderous applause.

On Sunday, February 17, 2008 Melissa was a contester at the “Prinses Christina Concours” in Haarlem, at the Philharmonie. It is a contest for young musicians. The other contesters came from the entire western region of the Netherlands. She played magnificent and as a result, she was awarded the 1. prize. The award was presented by the Queen’s commissioner of North Holland.

On May 5, 2008, the opera "Ça Ira" (There is Hope) by Roger Waters premiered in the World Forum Theater in Den Haag. This opera was performed one time only by the Dutch Concert Choir, the Counseling Orchestra of Tilburg and the Children Choir of the Music school of Waterland. The opera was conducted by Rob Vermeulen. Soloists were Ernst Daniël Smid, Karin ten Cate, André Post and Melissa Venema. At the end of the opera conductor Rob Vermeulen and baritone Ernst Daniël Smid presended Melissa to the audience. Melissa received a long ovation for her trumpet solo.

On the 27th and 28th of June, 2008 Melissa’s dream came true. Since she could play the trumpet, she always wanted to play with Andre Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra. She finally played solo with André Rieu and his orchestra in the Amsterdam ArenA. The audience in the ArenA was absolutely quiet when Melissa entered and started the breathtaking "Il Silenzio". First she played it all by herself, then she played it with the accompaniment of the orchestra. At the end of the piece, she played a high C, that was so tremendous with a full and golden sound, it opened the heart of every man and woman in the ArenA. Many people got goose bumps and were moved by the musicality of Melissa. In the second piece, the furiously fast "Bugler's Holiday", Melissa played together with the two fantastic trumpet players of the orchestra, Roger and René. Melissa received a long applause and a standing ovation.

On Friday the 4th, Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th of July, 2008 Melissa performed at an open air concert at the Vrijthof in Maastricht with André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra. Together with the massive men’s choir "Maastrichter Staar" and other soloist it was a beautiful and memorable concert. The sound of Melissa was absolutely fabulous and the audience was deeply impressed with her appearance. They were "bewitched" by her musical talent. When Melissa started her "Il Silenzio" under the shining stars, the Vrijthof was completely silent. After the last note, the whole Vrijthof was filled with a roaring applaus. Those 3 concerts were a great experience for Melissa.

On December the 12th, 2008 Melissa was a soloist with the Municipal Orchestra of Purmerend, during the Mid-Winter Festival of Graft-De Rijp. She opened the festival playing the Haydn Trumpet Concert Part 2 and 3. A music reviewer of a newspaper wrote that he never heard the third part of the Haydn Trumpet Concerto played so well. Melissa was praised for her virtuoso playing and beautiful lyrical tone.

On the 19th and 20th of December, 2008 Melissa played with André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra in the Gelredome in Arnhem during a unique Christmas concert. Melissa played "Il Silenzio" and "Bugler's holiday" again. The public was moved by her beautiful tone and her natural, spontaneous expression. Both evenings the audience gave Melissa a standing ovation. Because of her performance in the Gelredome, she was asked by André Rieu for 2 more concerts in the Arena in Hasselt (Belgium). Melissa was surprised by the reactions of the Belgian public and he Belgian public was very surprised by Melissa's playing. Shortly after Melissa started playing, the audience gave her a warm welcome applause. Melissa has greatly enjoyed all the performances together with André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra.

On the 10th of January Melissa was a soloist with the Verkade Show-Orchestra on the occasion of the 10-year anniversary of the Zaantheater in Zaandam. It was a rare opportunity for the people of Zaandam, to hear and see “their” Melissa in their own city. When Melissa played solo, the audience was completely silent. Afterwards Melissa received a resounding and long applause. During her "Don't cry for me Argentina" the audience got goose bumps. Together with the Verkade Show Orchestra and the piano accompaniment of Cathy Catoun the evening was a great success for Melissa.

On Saturday the 7th and sunday the 8th of March, 2009, Melissa was a competitor at the first round and finale of the Princess Christina musical Contest in Haarlem. On Sunday Melissa received her prizes from the mayor of Haarlem. Melissa won the first prize in her category, as well as the audience prize, as well as the masterclass prize and the prize for overall best contender. It was an unbelievably fantastic achievement.

On the 11th of March, 2009 Melissa played solo for her highness Queen Beatrix at the opening of the pavilion Verkade. Her Majesty the Queen thanked Melissa personally for her beautiful trumpet playing.

On the 14th of March, 2009 Melissa has played solo at the Christian symphonic wind orchestra "Princess Juliana" in Numansdorp. She played "Chanson napolitaine" and "You raise me up", which was beautifully arranged by the conductor Mr. Alex Zwijger. The audience was very enthusiastic and Melissa received a standing ovation. Melissa was asked to play an encore, which was "You raise me up". After that, the audience gave Melisa a thrilling and thunderous applause.

On the 4th of April, 2009 Melissa played at the Pricess Christina Contest during the Day of the nominees in The Hague. On this day Melissa received the incentive award. Afterwards, Melissa stated that she felt comfortable amongst the other eleven finalists.

\ On the 7th of June, 2009, Melissa reached the next class of the Youngh Talented Class of the Conservatorium of Amsterdam. She passed Cum Laude! On the 4th of July, 2009 during a fantastic concert in the "Grote Kerk of Westzaan" Melissa presented her new album called "Melissa in Conert". The major of Zaandam, miss Géke Faber, received the first CD. She praised Melissa for her musicality and perseverance. It was a wonderful concert and it was supported by Peter Besseling (piano) and Liselotte Rokyta (pan flute). Besides beautiful melodies such as “Don’t cry for me, Argentina” and “once upon a time in the west” you can find another beautiful song on this album. “Romance voor Melissa” was specially composed for her by Ruud Merx, the principal trombonist of Andre Rieu’s Johann Strauss Orchestra. You can buy the CD at www.sth.nl.

On the 14th of July, Melissa played a lunch concert in the New Church in The Hague, supported by Peter Besseling on the piano. She played Hummel’s Trumpet Concerto. She played it on the E flat Trumpet. The audience was impressed and was standing up to give her a big applause. During the concert the director of the Princess Christina Contest congratulated Melissa with the beautiful implementation of the Hummel Concert.

From the 22nd of July untill the 3rd of August, 2009 Melissa was on a concert tour in South Africa. Melissa performed in the concert hall of the academy of Stellenbosch and in the big Universitas concert hall of Pretoria. Besides that, she played in big churches, in auditoria in Bloemfontein, in Port Elisabeth, in Durbanville, in Onrusrivier and in the Mossel Baai. She also gave music lessons in Pretoria at the music school pro Arte to a class of 14- to 18-years old children. All concerts were sold out and immense successful. The South Africans were deeply under impression of Melissa’s trumpet playing abilities, her monumental technique and her personality. South African newspapers wrote that Melissa is a phenomenon on trumpet and that they have closed her in their heart. Melissa got much positive exposure in South Africa. Besides the exhaustively favorable press, Melissa also has given a radio interview, which was transmitted live.

On the 28th, 29th and 30th of August 2009 Melissa performed with André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra at the Thialf stadium in Heerenveen. It was an immense success. The audience was very enthusiastic and was touched by the way Melissa played her trumpet. She got big applause and standing ovations.

On November 7, 2009 Melissa played Oskar Böhme’s Trumpet Concerto in F minor, accompanied by the Christian fanfare Excelsior Bunschoten. The Trumpet Concerto was specially arranged for fanfare by Ruud Merx.

On March 20, 2010 Melissa took part to the Chicago International Brass Festival. She belonged to the last eight finalists. Melissa won the third prize with an honorable mention for her musicality and purity. The jury was extremely impressed. Melissa received a "nine" on the scale of one to ten. Of the trumpet she was first. The competition was won by a Japanese man on tuba and second was an American with the trombone.

On April 11, 2010 Melissa played with the Kennemer Youth Orchestra the sixteen minutes Trumpet Concerto by Alexander Arutunian in the Philharmonie in Haarlem. The audience was so impressed with Melissa and she had a long standing ovation.

On 12 June 2010 Melissa had a monumental action with the Wester harmony in the large room of the concert bldg. of Amsterdam. The orchestra stood under the guidance of fin penny of pine axe nature which is theory teacher also its on the academy. Melissa played virtuoso a variation on grandfather clock. Publicly started already loud and long for its applaud whereas the piece had not yet expired.

On Sunday, June 27, 2010 Melissaplayed the third part of the Haydn Trumpet Concerto in the famous Crystal Cathedral.
This special church is in Garden Grove, near Los Angeles in California and is known by "Hour of Power".
Melissa was accompanied by Catherine Noorland.
Melissa and Catherine played the Trumpet Concerto that morning in two meetings which were both recorded for television.
These recordings were made to be broadcast across America and in seventy other countries including the Netherlands.