Rens Tienstra
Conductor, composer, musicologist and teacher.
Welcome to my website!
Conducting
Tienstra studied conducting at Amsterdam Conservatoire. An experienced conductor in the classical and contempory repertoires, Tienstra's practice encompasses choirs, orchestra's, chant groups, chamber ensembles and the occassional music theatre project. He currently leads Toonkunstkoor Leiden, the Schola Cantorum Amsterdam and the Schola Cantorum of Amsterdam Conservatoire, next to working as a freelance choir and ensemble conductor.
Always eager for the performance of new music, he has premiered works by Daan Manneke, Wim Henderickx, Bob Zimmerman, Ad Wammes, Geerten Liefting, Valentin Villard, Job Greuter, REINDIER, Wilma Pistorius, Andys Skordis, Ji Youn Kang as well as his own compositions.
Composition
Tienstra studied Composition at Amsterdam Conservatoire (2006-2013) with Daan Manneke, Willem Jeths and Wim Henderickx, following guest lessons with Tristan Murail. During studies, he also met the composer Johathan Harvey and discovered the works of sculptor Antony Gormley; the works, philosophy and personalities of both men inspired Tienstra greatly.
Being born and raised at the Dutch seaside, Tienstra's artistic output is intrinsically linked to the sea. The composition, performance and listening experience of his compositions also show kinship to the monastic practice of lectio divina, an approach of deep contemplative reading. A particular musical idea is ruminated upon, while shedding new light on each of its reiterations, gradually filtering towards a musical point vierge (in the wording of the Trappist monk Thomas Merton). Recurrent themes in his work are those of commemoration, mourning and of closure.
Tienstra teaches Composition at Utrecht Conservatoire.
Listen to: Recite, for ensemble | Vues des Anges, for vocal ensemble | Three Chants, for cello | Alba, for harp and organ | Rituale, for ensemble | Still, for electronics | Schokland Prayer, for accordeon | Tombeau à 5: Egidius, waer bestu bleven? (Daan Manneke arr. Tienstra)
Click here for a list of works.
Click here for works published at Donemus.
Musicology
Tienstra is a scholar and sought-after lecturer with specialisms in medieval and 20th- and 21st-century music, teaching at the conservatoires of Amsterdam and Utrecht (NL).
Tienstra followed musicological electives at Amsterdam Conservatoire and gained his MA Musicology at Birmingham University (UK) with a thesis on the late choral works of Dutch composer Ton de Leeuw. His PhD in Musicology at the Folkwang University in Essen (GER) was completed magna cum laude with an extensive study on melodic variation in Low Countries chant manuscripts.
His articles, studies and reviews have been published in national and international journals (Plainsong and Medieval Music, Journal of the Royal Society for Music History of The Netherlands, Gregoriusblad). He has collaborated with institutions such as the Amsterdam Rijksmuseum, the Royal Library of the Netherlands, Utrecht University and its Library, Rijksmuseum Twenthe, the Zutphen Librije, many a historical society and the abbies of Saint-Wandrille, Einsiedeln, Egmond, Affligem and Koningshoeven. He currently aids the Royal Library of the Netherlands and Utrecht University Library in research into their large collections of medieval musical fragments.
Tienstra has written extensively on medieval liturgical chant from the Netherlands. His output includes in-depth studies of Gregorian chant, several performance editions, a handbook on chant conducting and the books Duizend jaar doorgegeven and Engelenspel, featuring explorations of Dutch plainchant manuscripts.
Click here for a list of publications.
Teaching
- Teacher of Composition at Utrecht Conservatoire
- Teacher of Music Theory at Utrecht Conservatoire
- Teacher of Gregorian Chant / Director of the Schola Cantorum at Amsterdam Conservatoire
- Teacher of Hymnology at Amsterdam Conservatoire
- Teacher of the monthly Gregoriaanse Kring at St. Nicholas' Co-Cathedral Basilica, Amsterdam
- Teacher/lecturer at the International Summer Course of Gregorian Chant (Koningshoeven Abbey), Hildegard of Bingen Summer School (Utrecht) and Dag van het Gregoriaans (various locations)
- Workshop teacher
Earlier collaborations:
- 2023: lecturer for research on the Utrecht Pontificale (Utrecht University and its Library)
- Art (history) teacher and guide at the Mauritshuis museum, The Hague
- Teacher Solfege, Music Theory and Harmony at Nieuw Vocaal Amsterdam, Kleynkoor Academy Noordwijk and Haarlem Cathedral School
- Teacher/lecturer at the international summer courses and festivals on Gregorian chant of Utrecht, Den Bosch, The Hague (NL), Essen-Werden (GER), Drongen (BEL) and St. Wandrille (FR)
Gregorian chant
Tienstra studied Gregorian chant at Amsterdam Conservatoire with Richard Bot, at The Hague Royal Conservatoire with Marcel Zijlstra and at the International Summer and Winter Courses of Gregorian chant at Essen (various teachers including Stefan Klöckner, Franco Ackermans, Markul Uhl, Hans Leenders). He completed his PhD studies in Musicology at the Folkwang University in Essen with a magna cum laude dissertation on melodic variation in Northern Low Countries manuscripts (supervisors Stefan Klöckner and Hartmut Möller). Tienstra now teaches Gregorian chant at Amsterdam Conservatoire.
Research of and practice with varied chant groups and repertoires have given him a deep insight in the full range of chant - reflected in articles and books such as his Guide on chant interpretation and conducting.
He has written various books on chant; his musicological studies have been published in international journals. In 2023, Tienstra unearthed the full medieval Office of St. Jeroen of Noordwijk, published as a performance edition with an extensive introduction.
In international context, Tienstra is passionate about helping researchers and performers interested in the liturgy and chant of the Low Countries.
Programming
* 2010-2020: programmer of ensembles at Muziek in Jeroen, Noordwijk.
* 2013-2023: programmer All Souls' concerts, Oegstgeest.
* 2013-2018: programmer of PASSIO: Gregorian chant and contemporary music.
* 2021-2025: artistic director of the Dutch Festival of Gregorian Chant, Den Bosch.
Tienstra regularly creates concert and liturgical programs, either for orchestra's, ensembles, festivals (Dutch Festival of Gregorian Chant, Musica Sacra, Nachtlicht Festival), or at request.
Click here for examples of programming.