Biography
Violinist Merel Vercammen has performed all over the world in concert halls such as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, and Wigmore Hall in London. She was trained as a classical violinist at the Royal College of Music in London, where she graduated with honors. However, Merel also brings improvisation back into classical music and takes the violin to venues outside the traditional classical stages. For instance, she has been heard at major pop festivals in the Netherlands, such as Down The Rabbit Hole and Into The Great Wide Open. In 2023, she was selected by the Dutch newspaper Financieele Dagblad as one of the 50 young promises of 2023.
Since 2018, Merel has formed regular duos with pianist Dina Ivanova and cellist Maya Fridman. She frequently played with musicians like Olga Pashchenko, Erik Bosgraaf, Ties Mellema, Sterre Konijn, Bernadeta Astari, Rembrandt Frerichs, and Maria Milstein. As a soloist, she has performed with the Nederlands Kamerkoor, Pynarello, and the Doelen Ensemble.
Merel’s discography now includes four albums and a digital EP. Her debut album, Symbiosis (2019) with Dina Ivanova, combines the Violin Sonata by César Franck with works by Mathilde Wantenaar and Poldowski. In September 2019, The Zoo followed, offering something surprisingly unusual in classical music: a full album of completely free improvisation.
In 2021, The Boulanger Legacy with Dina Ivanova followed, featuring the musical heritage of the sisters Lili and Nadia Boulanger. For these albums, Merel received praise in the international press and was invited to radio and TV. The Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant ranked two of her albums among the best of the year.
As a soloist, Merel has a broad repertoire. She has performed violin concertos by Beethoven, Brahms, Dvořák, and Lalo, as well as contemporary works. In 2022, she played the world premiere of the Piano Trio by Evgeny Kissin in Amsterdam.
Merel has long been committed to raising the profile of contemporary and female composers. She has a special connection with the young Dutch composer Mathilde Wantenaar, who wrote her first work for violin and orchestra for Merel. On her debut album, Merel recorded Mathilde Wantenaar's Sprookjes. Wantenaar also composed the oratorio Dear Professor Einstein at Merel's request.
Her interests in science and music come together in the biennial festival SNAAR, of which Merel is both founder and artistic director. The first two editions took place in 2022 and 2024 at TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht, showcasing newly developed interactive performances at the intersection of art and science. Besides her activities as a violinist and musical creator, Merel studied mathematics and earned a Master of Science in Music, Mind & Brain at Goldsmiths, University of London, and a Master's in Cultural Economics & Entrepreneurship at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Merel plays a violin made by the famous maker Jean Baptiste Vuillaume, built around 1845 in Paris, and a 19th-century bow by Franz Albert Nürnberger. Both are on loan to her from the Dutch Musical Instruments Foundation (NMF).