Mezzo sopranos

Julia Culp Betty van den Bosch Judith Toff Cora Canne Meijer Jard van Nes Margriet van Reisen


Julia Culp belongs to the singers that received world fame. After 1900, when she got her conservatory diploma Culp appeared for the first time in Holland. A German impresario, who heard her singing by accident, contracted her in 1901 for a concert in Berlin, where she settled down a year later. The famous singing teacher Etelka Gerster expressed her willingness to train her to a lied singer, with delay of payment. Because she said: " Today people still write the name Julia Culp with small type letters, but once one will write them with golden capital letters." Betty van den Bosch switched after a German opera career in the Netherlands to a lighter repertoire. That doesn't yet pleased her and after a complementary singing study she switched to classical repertoire. In this repertoire she debuted in 1935, after which she appeared regularly, in the Netherlands as well in the major music theatres in a.o. London, Berlin, Vienna, Copenhagen and Stockholm. She sang under conductors as Willem Mengelberg, Eduard van Beinum, Bruno Walter, Oswald Kabasta, Fritz Busch and Erich Kleiber. The career of the Jewish mezzo-soprano Judith Toff was relative short. After her debut with the Wagnervereeniging (Wagner society) in 1924 as Edelknabe in Tannhauser she appeared alternately in operas and concerts. With the Concertgebouw Orchestra she sang under conductors as Erich Kleiber, Johannes den Hertog, Frits Schuurman, Heinz Tietjen and Eduard van Beinum.
Cora Canne Meijer debuted in September 1950 with the Nederlandse Opera as Annina in La Traviata. An impressive opera career followed. But besides opera she also sang lied and oratorio. This moment - 2007 - she still is active as a singing teacher. Jard van Nes is a concert-, oratorio- and lied singer with also opera on her repertoire. In 1978 she was price winner of the International Vocalists Concourse in 's-Hertogenbosch and in 1981 of the International Opera- and Belcanto concourse, organised by the Flemish broadcast company. In 2001 she stopped with singing, she wouldn't go on to her sixtieth. She announced this after a concert in Arnhem after the performance of Mahler's Third Symphony with the Gelders Orchestra under Lawrens Renes. Margriet van Reisen - the baby of this company - finished her study in 1998 Cum Laude at the 'High School for Arts Utrecht'. She also received lessons from Jard van Nes, Marilyn Horne, Christa Ludwig, Udo Reinemann and Judith Beckmann and followed a Schubert-masterclass with the singer Robert Holl and pianist Rudolf Jansen. Further she received scholarships from among others the Prince Bernhard Foundation for her opera-education at the 'Guildhall School of Music and Drama' in London. She performed the title role in Handel’s opera Rinaldo, Zita in Puccini's 'Gianni Schicchi' and Anna in Weill's 'Seven deadly sins'. Margriet van Reisen sings much in concert-repertoire within the country and abroad. 


Meysenheim, Cornelie
- (1849-1923)
Schierbeek, Anke - (1878-1960)
Culp, Julia
- (1880- 1970)
Bosch, Betty van den - (1900-1972)
Gruys, Hans - (1903-1989)
Toff, Judith - (1907-1943)
Veen, Lidy van der - (1916-2005)
Merriman, Nan - (1920-2012)
Aarden, Mimi - (1924-2012)
Sante, Sophia van - (1925-2007)
Canne Meijer, Cora - 1929
Kaart, Caroline - 1931
Nes, Jard van - 1948
Lucia Meeuwsen - 1950
Andriesen, Annett - 1950
Marion van den Akker
Margriet van Reisen - 1972
Cécile van de Sant
Tania Kross - 1976
Burggraaf, Cora - 1977