Maurice Fondse

Maurits Fondse (1970) grew up in a teaching family in Tholen, Zeeland. With two singing parents, musical brothers and many churchgoers, music was brought up on the spoon. Maurits took piano lessons for several years and was a singer in the church choir led by his mother. After HAVO, Maurits goes to study in Utrecht, first a teacher training course, but then goes on to study Business Administration and Philosophy at VU University in Amsterdam. After graduating, he takes the entrance exam for Piano Light Music at the Utrecht Conservatory and is accepted. From that day on, Maurits decides to throw himself fully into his passions: playing the piano and writing songs. In 1998, he played in Henk Westbroek's band for 1.5 years and Maurits was Musical Leader of Kinderen voor Kinderen, who celebrated their 25th anniversary that year and toured the Netherlands with an anniversary tour. Many projects and collaborations with other musicians follow, such as Shane (own band) and Groove Troopers (big band he co-leads with brother Martin). During these years Maurits writes steadily, commissioned music, commercials, theatre work and many commercial gigs follow, corporate parties and weddings to put bread on the table. From 2010, Maurits is a much sought-after pianist and backing vocalist. He works for KRO's Theatre of Sentiment, NCRV's BZT Music Show and is Musical Director of the musicals Willem Ruis, Dancing with the Enemy (4 Musical Award Nominations), Zeeuwse Vrouwen I and II, Telkens Weer Het Dorp, Safaripark Zuidas and Soof the Musical. Maurits writes the music for the musicals Dansen met de Vijand, Safaripark Zuidas (Janke Dekker Produkties) and songs for Expeditie Robinson (Rick Engelkes Produkties). From 2013 to 2019, Maurits is permanent accompanist to Freek de Jonge, with whom he does many theatre and TV performances, including DWDD and Carré. Since 2018, Maurits has had his own shows in the theatre. These include The Story of Billy Joel, and with partner and singer Britta Maria, he is on stages with Serge Gainsbourg Forever, Chansons of Beauty and Homeward. In 2021-2022, Maurits will perform his new programme Young in the 70s and with Britta Maria Aznavour mon Amour. In 2019, Maurits and Britta will release the album Huiswaarts (4 stars NRC), which includes the successful single Houd Moed (Keep Courage). During the corona crisis, they wrote Samen uit Elkaar and Op Weg naar Jou. And they recently released a new song, De Optocht, which Maurits co-wrote with Ivo de Wijs.