Marius Van Altena

Born Marius Hendrikus Schweppe, this Dutch tenor became well known for his interpretations of Renaissance and Baroque music, such as cantatas by Dietrich Buxtehude and Bach and concert and sacred vocal music by Matthaeus Pipelare, Claude le Jeune, Orlande de Lassus, Carissimi, António Marques Lésbio, Manuel Machado, Joannes de Latre, Clemens non Papa (Jacob Clement), and Heinrich Schütz. Van Altena's formal musical education took place at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. His touring schedule took him to Germany, England, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Japan, Australia, Mexico, and the U.S. He also appeared in performances of Baroque operas, such as the 1974 Holland Festival productions of Agostino Agazzari's Eumelio and Sigmund Gottlieb Staden's Seelewig. In 1980, van Altena performed in Gluck's L'ile de Merlin. From 1980 to 1984, he participated in opera performances with the group Spectaculum in Vienna, which presented stage works by Johann Joseph Fux, Kaiser Leopold I of Austria, and Francesco Bartolomeo Conti. Van Altena taught in conservatories in the Hague and in Tilburg. Since the mid-'80s, he has occasionally conducted performances of vocal works.