Kees Boersma (Sydney)

Kees Boersma joined the Sydney Symphony Orchestra as Principal Bass in 1990. As well as his work within the orchestra he has featured as soloist on a number of occasions, with performances including a concerto commissioned for him by Colin Bright, the Dittersdorf Divertimento for Viola and Double Bass, Bottesini's Concerto for two Double Basses and Mozart's 'Per Questa Bella Mano'(in it's original Viennese tuning).

Kees was a founding member of the Brisbane based contemporary music group ELISION, premiering the works of Franco Donatoni, Richard Barrett, Lisa Lim and Brian Ferneyhough. With ELISION he has recorded several award winning CD's and undertaken concert tours to Italy and Germany. The most recent tour included performances in Berlin's Ultraschall Festival.

He appears regularly with the Australia Ensemble; was a featured artist in Musica Viva's "Different Realms" tour of 2004 performing Schubert's Trout quintet and Brett Dean's "Voices of Angels" and is bassist with the Sydney Soloists - amongst their most recent recordings is the World Premiere of the chamber version of Mahler's 4th Symphony.

He was involved in the inaugural Melbourne Spoleto chamber music festival, performing with Joshua Bell, Colin Carr and Carter Brey.

After studies at the Victorian College of the Arts, Kees traveled to his birthplace in the Netherlands to undertake post-graduate studies at the Sweelinck Conservatorium in Amsterdam. He consequently performed for two years with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, with concerts at the Salzburg Festival, the BBC Proms in London and tours to Montreaux, Lucerne, Paris, Vienna and Berlin.

On his return to Australia Kees performed as Principal Bass with the State Orchestra of Victoria and the Australian Chamber Orchestra before his appointment to the Sydney Symphony.

Kees plays on a double bass made by John Lott Snr, London, circa 1810.

He is married to Kirsty McCahon, principal bassist of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra.