Congratulations to Daniel Reuss on royal honour!

On Tuesday 2 November, Cappella Amsterdam presented a new CD at the Orgelpark. It features the large-scale choral work Kanon Pokajanen from Arvo Pärt, which was also performed live. After the concert, chief conductor Daniel Reuss was appointed Knight of the Order of the Dutch Lion. This very high royal decoration is only awarded to people 'with special merits of a very exceptional nature for society'. Reuss was pinned on the ribbon by Emre Ünver, chairman of the Presidium of the Amsterdam City Council.

Choral conductor Daniel Reuss (b. 1961) has been a leader since his 29^e artistic director and chief conductor of Cappella Amsterdam. Starting in 1970 with advanced amateurs, the choir soon developed into an internationally renowned company. Its adventurous programming, performing both contemporary and early music at the very highest level, led to rave reviews, packed auditoriums and prestigious awards. In 2013, for instance, Reuss and his choir were awarded the Edison Classical for their recording of Leos Janácek's choral works.

'After recent impressive CDs with works by Bach, Sweelinck, Martin and Ligeti, among others, there is now this fantastic CD with works by Czech composer Leos Janácek,' reads the jury report. 'Here it is also apparent how much the power of Cappella Amsterdam transcends the purely technical (purity, unity, but also individual talent). How poetic, empathetic, delicate and - in the Elegy which Janácek composed after the death of his 20-year-old daughter - downright heartbreaking.'

Dutch music and young talent

Reuss is also firmly committed to Dutch music with Cappella Amsterdam, with leading concerts around such diverse composers as Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, Ton de Leeuw and Louis Andriessen. The choir works with top Dutch ensembles and orchestras and with the fine fleur of international (opera) companies and ensembles. During the last Cello Biennale, Reuss and his singers enchanted a sold-out Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ with special pieces by Galina Grigoryeva and Santa Ratniece.

Besides his work as a choral conductor, Reuss leads productions with such renowned ensembles as the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Collegium Vocale Gent, the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. He is also a sought-after teacher, giving master classes in the Tenso Network Europe, an association of 18 European chamber choirs, among others.

Together with Cappella Amsterdam, Reuss also helps young conductors on their way to an international career. Up-and-coming talents like Maria van Nieukerken, Gijs Leenaars and Manoj Kamps were given carte blanche to shape a concert as they saw fit. Van Nieukerken also worked with Reuss as a choir rehearsal pianist: 'Thanks to Daniel, I learned that you don't have to jump on top of every mistake right away. You have that tendency as a beginner, but I learned to assess what you should or should not do to achieve a good result.'

Fighting spirit

To everyone's dismay, Cappella Amsterdam was bumped out of the structural subsidy scheme by the Performing Arts Fund last August. This seriously threatens the choir's survival. Supported by the Dutch music scene, the board objected to the ill-founded decision.

Over the past (almost) three decades, Reuss has grown close to his choir. He praises the enormous enthusiasm of the singers, to whom he sets high standards: 'I don't spare the wheat and the chaff, but because of that they start a concert with joy, they know they can handle it.'

It is hoped that the singers' fighting spirit and the royal award for chief conductor Daniel Reuss will still lead to structural support for Cappella Amsterdam. Audiences and musicians deserve it!