Biography

"...Arjan Tien has become synonymous with insightful musicianship and the messenger of the joy that music should be."
Juan Burgers - Die Burger

“Conductor Arjan Tien pulled out all the stops to conjure a pure authentic Italian opera sound from his orchestra, with an overwhelming success.”
Paul Vergeest – De Gelderlander

Arjan Tien was born the son of German - Dutch parents in 1968 in the Netherlands. He studied violin and viola at the Utrecht Conservatory and obtained his solo-diploma in 1994 with distinction. As a violist he made his solo debut with the Salzburg Chamber Soloists in São Paulo and Vitória (Brazil). Arjan Tien was principal violist of the Dutch National Youth Orchestra and in 1992, before graduating as a violist, became a member of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, a position he held until 2005. Arjan Tien studied conducting with George Hurst and Roberto Benzi.

Recently Arjan Tien has been appointed artistic director and principal conductor of the Magogo Chamberorchestra (Tilburg - the Netherlands) where he will conduct 15 to 20 programs per season.
In 1997 he was awarded the first prize 'Rotary-Faller' at the competition of the International Conducting Masterclass in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. In 1998 he made his appearance with the KwaZulu Natal Philharmonic Orchestra, which resulted in ongoing invitations with that and all other South African orchestras. Between 1999 and 2001 he worked intensively as assistant-conductor with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic.
In 2000 at last notice, Arjan Tien was invited to conduct the Netherlands Youth Orchestra, in 2001 he made a successful debut in the summer season of the Amsterdam concertgebouw. Since 2002 he is regularly working with the Metropole Orchestra, with which he recorded three CD's and a DVD (of which "Quand tu dors" with Wende Snijders, was awarded with the prestigious Edison Award) Another highly acclaimed CD was released in October 2005 with the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa in the Alto Rhapsody by Brahms and other works, featuring Sibongile Khumalo as soloist.

He conducted numerous television- and radio- recordings and world premieres appearing in Austria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Serbia-Montenegro, South Africa, Switzerland and Turkey where he worked with orchestras such as the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra - Ankara, L'Orchestre Symphonique de Bienne, the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa, the KwaZulu Natal Philharmonic Orchestra - Durban, the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Royal Dutch Air Force, the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra.

Furture performances include performances with most of the above mentioned orchestras as well as the Arnhem Philharmonic, the Residentie Orchestra, the Syros Festival Chamber Orchestra and the Antalya Symphony Orchestra. In 2007 Arjan Tien has been invited to conduct several opera performances; "Les Contes d' Hoffmann" by Offenbach at the State Theatre in Pretoria with the Black Tie Ensemble, the world premiere of "God's Library" by Krüs with Opera Spanga in the Netherlands as well as Verdi's La Traviata.
Arjan Tien teaches conducting at the Fontys Academy of Arts in Tilburg.