The Roden Boys’ Choir has two main organists: Sander van der Houten and Jochem Schuurman.

Sander van der Houten (1987) was appointed organist of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Hague in April 2017 which makes him the main player of the famous Bätz organ from 1762. He is also the named organist of both the Burgwal Church and the Broederkerk in Kampen and second organist of the Bovenkerk there.
He started his piano and organ studies at the age of eight with Paul Kievit in Middelharnis. He participated in concourses and won prizes at the youth soloist concours in Melissant (3rd prize), the ensemble concours in Oude Tonge (2nd prize) and the Buxtehude concours in Zierikzee (1st prize).
He received his vocational education at the Rotterdam Conservatory with Bas de Vroome (literature) and Aart Bergwerf (improvisation) and obtained his BA. In 2013 he graduated with a first for his Masters Organ at the ArtEZ Conservatory in Zwolle with Theo Jeltema.
As a conductor, he is associated with the ‘Concert Choir Immanuel’ in Kampen and the ‘Song and Oratory Society Raalte’. He is also the cantor of the Theological University in Kampen. Sander takes private lessons in choir direction from Wiecher Mandemaker.
He is also the permanent accompanier of among others the ‘Bovenkerk Chamber Choir’ under the direction of Ab Weegenaar and of the ‘Kampen Boys’Choir’1\ under the direction of Rintje te Wies. Sander van der Houten performs many concerts annually as. soloist, accompanier and continuo player. He also has a private practice as a teacher.
For more information see www.sandervanderhouten.nl
masterclasses

Jochem Schuurman (1989) received organ lessons from Johan G. Koers from 1997 to 2007. Subsequently he studied with Theo Jellema and Erwin Wiersinga at the Prins Claus Conservatory in Groningen, where he graduated with a first with a Master of Music. In addition, Jochem Schuurman spent a number of months in Berlin to follow classes with Leo van Doeselaar and Paolo Crivellaro at the Universität der Künste. He took with Wolfgang Zerer, Eric Lebrun, Edoardo Bellotti and Pieter Dirksen. Since 2016 Jochem Schuurman is coached by his former teacher Johan. G. Koers. During his studies, Jochem Schuurman won nine prizes in total at concourses. After his studies in 2013, he was awarded the Silver Violin (Zilveren Viooltje), a music prize for young talent from the Northern Netherands. The jury praised him for his versatility, his convincing attitude and his entrepreneurship. In August 2015 he was awarded the 3rd prize at the international organ concours in Wuppertal. In September 2016 he was a finalist of the prestigious Paul Hofhaimer organ concours around the historic organs of the town of Innsbruck. In May 2017 he won the 2nd prize and the audience prize at the international César Franck concours in Haarlem.
Jochem Schuurman is the named organist of the Martini Church in Franeker and therefore the permanent player of the monumental Van Dam organ of 1842.
As a performing musician he gives concerts as a soloist, but also as accompanier to other musicians and is moreover regularly involved in premières for new compositions. In addition, Jochem Schuurman is active as organ and piano teacher and works as the artistic advisor for the Foundation of Frisian Organs (Stichting Organum Frisicum).
For more information see: jochemschuurman.nl