'...rich, bright, ethereal and clear while still suggesting authority.'

Bachtrack

Maarten Engelen has a voice you want to keep listening to.

Merlijn Kerkhof - Volkskrant

Maarten Engeltjes (1984), has been singing as a boy soprano since the age of four. He collaborated as a soprano soloist on several CD recordings including Allegri's Miserere Mei in the Cathedral of Riga.

At the age of sixteen Maarten made his debut as a countertenor in Bach's St. Matthew Passion. Many concerts at home and abroad soon followed. Then in 2007 he graduated cum laude from the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague.

Meanwhile, Engeltjes has been a much sought-after countertenor for many years and works regularly with conductors such as Ton Koopman, Jonathan Cohen, Emmanuelle Haïm, Vladimir Jurowski, William Christie, Peter Dijkstra, Jordi Savall, Reinbert de Leeuw, Markus Stenz, Lars Ulrik Mortensen, Laurence Cummings and others. This makes him a regular guest at the world's most prestigious orchestras and venues such as Lincoln Centre New York, Théatre des Champs Elysées Paris, Philharmonie Berlin, Metropolitan Theatre Tokyo, Sydney Festival, Palao de la Musica Barcelona, Barbican Hall London, Salle Bourgié Montréal, Tonhalle Zürich, Konzerthaus Vienna, Kölner Philharmonie and the Concertgebouw Amsterdam.

Future engagements include: A 7-year Bach cycle with Les Arts Florissants conducted by Paul Agnew, Bach Cantatas in Prague and Leipzig with the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra under Ton Koopman, Handel's Israel in Egypt with the NDR Choir conducted by Klaas Stok, Bach's Matthäus Passion under Eivind Gullberg Jensen and Handel's Messiah with the New York Philharmonic. Also planned are many projects with PRJCT Amsterdam in which he will be a soloist and conductor will be. 

In 2017, Engeltjes founded his own baroque orchestra PRJCT Amsterdam on. With the ensemble he is taking a new direction in which, in addition to programming and the business side, he also takes charge of conducting. A combination that gives him great satisfaction. Meanwhile, he has recorded two solo albums with his ensemble for Sony Classical, both of which received high praise from the press. For the coming seasons the ensemble has concerts planned at home and abroad in prestigious venues and festivals such as the Muziekgebouw and Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Kölner Philharmonie, Bachfest Leipzig and Salle Gaveau Paris. 

Engeltjes lives with his wife in Amsterdam and is a proud father of two sons. 

Die makellose Reinheit seines Countertenors komt auf einzigartige weise zur Geltung. Das gefühl von balsamischen Frieden und beseligender Zeitlosigkeit, bringt er wie kaum ein anderer zum Ausdruk.

Opernglas, June 2020, on 'Nicht mehr hier' for Sony classical