Team

Manager Acquisition and Relationship Management
bianca@oorkaan.nl 
T: +31 20 24 40 217

Artistic Direction
info@oorkaan.nl
T: +31 20 6202828

Caecilia's mission is to develop the 'total performer' in the performing arts. YAMAward winner Tickle. Directed operas: Joan of Arc au Bucher, from Wagner Lohengrin, Der flying Hollander  conducted by Andris Nelsons with Concertgebouw Orchestra. Since 2015 at Oorkaan: Tarantula and the Dance of the Animals, Romeo&Julia, Muzikale Catwalk , Laat me met rust! Going in August 2021 Schräg/Strich premiered at the Salzburg Festival. caeciliathunnissen.com

Office Manager
office@oorkaan.nl 

Florence is half French and half Dutch and lived and worked in Barcelona as part of her studies at Hotelschool The Hague. Before joining Oorkaan, she completed a Management Traineeship in a corporate company, but was looking for something that could bring together her love of music and children. Florence has been working as Office Manager and Management Assistant at Oorkaan since September 2023.

Manager of Content and Publicity
judith@oorkaan.nl

Judith studied Musicology at the University of Amsterdam. She graduated within the Music & Disability Studies research area with a thesis on Dutch music interpreting and translating music into sign language. Now she continues her education with a master's degree in Health Humanities in Tilburg.

Marketing Creative
julia@oorkaan.nl
T: +31 20 24 40215

Julia studied Media, Information and Communication at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam. She also completed a minor in Philosophy, World Religions and Spirituality at the Hogeschool van Utrecht. After her internship at The School of Life, where she helped with the production and marketing of events, she knew she would like to use her practical knowledge in the creative sector. In the years that followed, she has been involved with several Amsterdam-based organizations in the cultural-social field. Julia has been working as a marketing creative at Oorkaan since January 2022.

Manager of Artistic Affairs and Education
maaike-merel@oorkaan.nl
T: +31 20 24 40215

Maaike–Merel received her Master of Music degree from the Utrecht Conservatory of Music in 2010. She also studied Theater, Film and Television Studies at Utrecht University and completed the academy of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. After a successful career as a viola player, she decided to put her creativity, love for children and passion for music behind the scenes. In 2022 Maaike–Merel worked as a programmer of education at the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra. From August 2023, she will be working at Oorkaan.

Tour Production Manager
mariateresa@oorkaan.nl
T: +31 20 2440219

After training as an actor at the Teatro Tascabile di Bergamo in Italy, Mariateresa studied Indonesian culture and Bahasa and Balinese. She has traveled in Asia to immerse herself in traditional Asian musical theater. She subsequently presented high-quality performing art from Asia in Europe and South America, for the last 20 years as an independent entrepreneur, from Singapore and since 1998 from the Netherlands. She held the positions of producer, project manager and business manager. Working at Oorkaan since January 2018.

Business Leader
info@oorkaan.nl
T: +31 20 6202828

Italian harpist Michela Zanoni is described by her former teacher and world-renowned harpist Gabriella Dall'Olio as an exciting and engaging performer.

As a soloist and chamber musician, Michela performed at the Farmleigh House in Dublin for HRH Prince Albert II of Monaco's state visit to Ireland, at the Royal Festival Hall in London. In 2018, she won the John Marson Prize in St Martin-in-the-Fields. In the same year, she won 3rd prize at the international "Concours Français de la Harpe" in Limoge and at the prestigious Camac North London competition.

In 2018-2019, she received the Philharmonia Orchestra MMSF Harp Fellowship. She previously performed with the Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra, at Aspen Music Festival with the Princess Grace grant.

Michela received her Master's degree in Creative Performance from Erika Waardenburg and Gwyneth Wentink at the Conservatory of Music in Amsterdam. She graduated from the Trinity Laban Conservatory of Music and Dance under the direction of Gabriella Dall'Olio and Frances Kelly.
She is grateful to SOGEDA, Trinity Laban and The John and Mortimer Foundation for supporting her studies.

Veysel Dzhesur was born and raised in Izmir (Turkey). He started his musical career at a young age studying trumpet. He later studied classical percussion at the Conservatory of Izmir and started working as a guest musician in major orchestras across Turkey, including the Presidential Symphony Orchestra and Izmir State Symphony Orchestra.

He continued his education in the Netherlands, where he obtained his master's degree at Codarts Rotterdam and gained more experience as an orchestra player at Rotterdam Sinfonia, among others. In the last years leading up to his graduation, he developed a new passion: instruments from the Middle East.

As a multi-percussionist, he is at home in a variety of styles, from Western classical to popular and world music. Through Oorkaan's mission to introduce small and large ears to "global classical music," Veysel found Oorkaan the perfect place to apply his skills regarding instruments and musical styles and bring music to life theatrically.

Veysel has also been active as a music teacher for over ten years and gets energy from fueling passion for music, especially in children. The most meaningful part of his work is creating memorable experiences for his young audience. Memories that spark joy and curiosity about the world of music and inspire new generations of listeners and musicians alike.

Michele Mazzini is a composer, improviser and player. He graduated with the maximum rating in clarinet classical music at the Conservatory of Milan in 2014. He also studied composition and attended international master classes in Lugano, Siena, Graz and Lier.

He took a practical course in Stuttgart with Marco Stroppa's composition class and studied improvisation at Siena Jazz with Stefano Battaglia. In 2020 he graduated with a master's degree in bass clarinet in new music at the Conservatory of Amsterdam with Erik van Deuren.

Michele is active in the contemporary music world: with the group ImprovvisoFantasia he has performed on several occasions in Milan, Rome, Turin, Trieste, with music by Cage, Stockhausen and Maderna. He recorded the world premiere of Sylvano Bussotti Grandi Numeri (Ars publica). In 2018, he performed the Italian premiere of the entire Cornelius Cardew's Treatise at the Museo del 900 in Milan.

As a soloist in the Netherlands he performed in De Ruimte, radio program Concertzender, Vondelpark Openluchttheater, Oosterkerk and Singelkerk. In ensembles he performed with ensemble Insomnio and Asko|Schönberg. His music has been performed at Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, Splendor and at the Grachtenfestival, Gaudeamus Festival, November Music and MouseEar concerts.

Also, he is a founding member of TMR - Tuscany Music Revolution, an improvisational ensemble and creative residency dedicated to exploring new ways of making music through free improvisation. Michele has also been playing Javanese gamelan since 2019. He performs regularly at the Gamelanhuis in Amsterdam.

Robbrecht Van Cauwenberghe is regularly asked for concerts and music theater productions in the Netherlands and abroad due to his virtuosity and unique instrument. He has recently performed at Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, Philharmonie Luxembourg, Bach Festival Dordrecht, Ghent Festival of Flanders, International Chamber Music Festival Utrecht and in various Dutch concert halls and theatres.

In the summer of 2021 he made his debut as a soloist with the Stift Festival Orchestra with the double concerto Sieben Worte (Sofia Gubaidulina) alongside cellist David Cohen. He also played in productions by De Nederlandse Reisopera, Theater Sonnevanck, Festival Dag in de Branding, Muziekzomer Gelderland and Holland Opera, among others.

Robbrecht studied bajan (Russian accordion) at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague with An Raskin, the Kunstuniversität Graz with Janne Rättyä and musicology at the University of Leuven, where he completed his bachelor's degree with the degree Magna cum Laude.

In addition, Robbrecht can be heard regularly on radio and TV, including the Avrotros Spring Concert, 25 years of the Grachtenfestival, a residency in Opium on Radio 4, and as a "young hero" on the TV program Podium Klassiek.