The surprising life of Dutch conductor Marnix Willem Steffen took him abroad for twenty years, shaping his career in Spain and South America. Connected with various embassies and authorities he was responsible for innovating concerts and the realization of an important cultural exchange between Europe and South America.

In 2013 he received the High Honorific Distinction of Culture of Peru and in 2017 he was decorated by the Andean Community for his commitment and spiritual involvement.

After his debut in 2005 with the Orquesta Ciudad de Granada, his performances brought him from big concert halls to little churches and from the Andes to the Amazon. In Amsterdam, Marnix had the invaluable opportunity to meet Bernard Haitink, and assisted to rehearsals with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

After an extraordinary orchestral project, he as well received special recommendations from Stanley Drucker from the New York Philharmonic.

With his concerts he also created climate awareness, connectivity, and inclusion; A beautiful example of how to use a classic orchestra connecting people and ideas for modern issues.

In 2020 he came back to The Netherlands because of the pandemic, and made his debut in 2022 with Phion, Orchestra of The Netherlands. The Dutch magazine “Luister” published an extensive article about his life and musical experiences abroad. He was happy to join Impulse Art Management and has future conducting engagements in The Netherlands, Germany and Spain.

Spain
Marnix started with the violin and completed his Master of Music in Rotterdam. Then he specialized in conducting at the Academia Chigiana in Sienna. He moved to Spain where his international conducting career began after participating in the Conducting Competition of Cadaqués, where he obtained special recommendations from Sir Neville Marriner. His official debut was a year later with the Orquesta Ciudad de Granada, conducting Haydn symphonies, together with a CD recording. Subsequently he was invited by other Spanish orchestras and in Europe with, amongst others, the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, Leipziger Symphonieorchester and the Orchestra Filarmónica di Roma.

South America
He arrived to Lima to become music director of the Orquesta Ciudad de Los Reyes and guest conductor of the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Peru. Since then he has been a well-seen guest with many other South American orchestras, like the Orquesta Sinfónica de Cuenca, Orquesta Sinfónica de Cusco, Orquesta Sinfónica de La Serena and the Orquesta Sinfónica de Antofagasta. A remarkable moment was when he went into the jungle with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Loja, to present Brahms there for the first time in history. During 3 years he was music director of the Orquesta Sinfónica del Conservatorio Nacional and after that he worked with the Orquesta Sinfónica de San Borja. He stayed there for 4 years, and brought the orchestra to new heights, presenting the complete cycles of Beethoven and Brahms symphonies.

Connectivity and durability
Collaborating with Radio Filarmonía he presented concerts in less fortunate areas outside of Lima. Working together with UNHCR he was committed to the integration of Venezuelan refugees, musicians, to become part of his Orquesta Sinfónica de San Borja. With this orchestra he also created climate awareness with concerts for “The Hour of the Planet”. Furthermore he co-founded Nueva Lima Clásica, a new chamber orchestra that served as a platform for young professionals. He was able to obtain the kind support from companies like Porsche and DP World and is still affiliated to them as their artistic director.

Cultural ambassador
Connected with embassies and authorities he was responsible for innovating concerts and the realization of an important cultural exchange between Europe and South America. With the Andean Community (CAN) he engaged in many projects to adopt the Andean music into classical concerts. His concerts included temporal works by classical composers Celso Garrido Lecca and Guillermo Rifo as well. Besides that, he gave a special music course at the Diplomatic Academy for many years. And in 2016 he went on a special voyage to Ayacucho, in search of its musical inheritance. A photobook about this adventure has been published by Peruvian photographer Shanny Alvarez, and is called “A Trip in B minor”.

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CV

Education
Diploma Master of Music, Conservatory of Rotterdam, 1997
Academia Chigiana, Siena, with Gianluigi Gelmetti, 1997
Masterclasses with Ilya Musin, Valery Gergiev, Antoni Ros Marba, Ivan Fischer

Assistant to:
Adrian Leaper (Orquesta de Valencia) 2010
John Nelson (Orquesta Sinfónica de Barcelona y Nacional de Cataluña) 2009
Sir Neville Marriner (Orquesta de Cadaquès) 2008
Salvador Brotons (Orquesta de Cámara de Vilanova) 2007
Uwe Mund (Orquesta Sinfónica del Vallès) 2006

Conducting Competition Award:
Concurso International de Dirección de Orquesta de Cadaqués, 2005

Conducting Debut:
Orquesta Ciudad de Granada, 2005

Recomendaciones:
Sir Neville Marriner (Orquesta de Cadaqués)
Adrian Leaper (Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria)
Stanley Drucker (New York Philharmonic)

Music Director
Nueva Lima Clásica. Peru, 2014-2020
Orquesta Sinfónica de San Borja. Peru, 2015-2020
Orquesta Sinfónica del Conservatorio Nacional de Música. Peru, 2012-2014
Orquesta Ciudad de los Reyes. Peru, 2011-2014
Orquesta Orfeo Gracienc. Spain, 2007 – 2011

Guest Conductor
Orquesta Ciudad de Granada
Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional del Perú
Orquesta Ciudad de los Reyes
Orquesta Sinfónica del Cusco
Orquesta Sinfónica de Loja
Orquesta Sinfónica de Cuenca
Orquesta Sinfónica Universidad La Serena
Orquesta Juvenil de Antofagasta
Orquesta Sinfónica Municipal de Piura
Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil del Ministerio de Educación de Perú
Sinfonietta de la Sociedad Filarmónica
Orquesta Sinfónica de Radio Filarmonía
L’Ensemble Orchestral de Paris
Leipziger Symphonieorchester
Orquesta de Girona
Orquesta Sinfónica de San Cugat
Orquesta de Cámara de Vilanova
Orquesta Filarmónica de Roma
Budapest Symphony Orchestra
Phion, Philharmonic Orchestra of the Netherlands

Collaboration with soloists
Juan José Chuquisengo (piano)
Jennifer Curtis (violin)
Stanley Drucker (clarinet)
Ryu Goto (violin)
Santy Abril (violin)
Victor Araya (cello)
Hugo Arias (violin)
Milena Ivandic (violin/piano)
Hans van Kerckhoven (violin)
Daniel Wayenberg (piano)
Hans Oudenaarden (piano)
David Lisker (violin)
Mariya Melnychuk (violin)
César Oña (clarinet)
Sivan Rotem (soprano)
José Luis Urquieta (hobo)
Chun-Chieh Yen (piano)
Pablo Amorós (piano)
Iagoba Fanlo (cello)

Collaboration with contemporary composers
Luciano Berio (Italy)
Olivier Messiaen (France)
Edward Top (The Netherlands)
Otto Ketting (The Netherlands)
Tauno Marttinen (Finland)
Celso Garrido-Lecca (Peru)
Guillermo Rifo Suárez (Chile)
Carlo Pedini (Italy)
Edgar Alandia (Italy/Bolivia)

Participation in Festivals
Florence, with Luciano Berio, Italy
Brive-la-Gaillarde, France
Ars Musica. Brusssels, Belgium
Moulin d’Andé. With Alexander Paley and Amiram Ganz, France.
II Congreso Latinoamericano de Clarinetistas, With Stanley Drucker
(New York Philharmonic)
Encuentro Internacional de Música Clásica Ciudad de las Flores. Ambato, Ecuador.
Jornadas Musicales del Zona Norte. Chile.
Festival Internacional de Música de Alturas (FIMA). Lima, Peru.

Collaboration with modern music artists (jazz/pop/latin)
Louis van Dijk
Chris Hinze
Amina Figarova
Julie Freundt
Omara Portuonda
Toots Thielemans
Pete Best
Tarja

Recognition/awards
Special recognition by the Andean Community for his musical and spiritual involvement.2017
Publication of the photobook “A trip in B minor”, about his music-travel to Ayacucho. 2016
Premiere of the 2nd Symphony by Brahms in Zamora, at the border of the Amazon. 2014
Jury member at the International Violin Competition “Premio Rodolfo Lipizer”. 2014
Peruvian premiere of “Eventos”, by composer Celso Garrido-Lecca. 2013
Decorated with the “High Honorific Distinction of Culture” in Peru. 2013
Special recommendations by Sir Neville Marriner at the International Conducting Competition of Cadaqués. 2005