Loek van der Leeden
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Loek van der Leeden (Wageningen, 2 January 1941 - ibid., 19 February 2018[2]) was a Dutch conductor, composer and pianist.
His father had a music school in Wageningen and was also conductor of several choirs. Van der Leeden replaced his father as conductor at the age of 17. He studied piano (with Theo Bruins), violin and choral conducting at the Utrecht Conservatory.
After his studies he worked as a music teacher at a secondary school and gave private lessons. He became conductor of a large number of choirs and collaborated on many concerts as conductor and pianist. As a pianist he was, together with organist Jan van Weelden, usually the regular accompanist of the choirs of conductor Arie Pronk. Van der Leeden was also often seen on television in programs with sacred music of the NCRV and the EO, such as the Christmas concert in De Doelen in Rotterdam and Nederland Zingt. He composed various songs and choral arrangements, including gospel, oratorios, musicals and operas.
In 2008 he celebrated his 50th anniversary as a composer, conductor and pianist. In the same year he ended his musical career; due to an infection he lost feeling in his feet and his fingers became stiff. He died in 2018 at the age of 77.
