Jorine van Beek
When were you first enchanted by (musical) theatre? And by what?
As a small child, I always went to the music theatre with my parents. The music enchanted me and often swept me away. The design fuelled my imagination, which occasionally exploded. At a young age, theatre taught me the power that imagination can have in a life. I remember very well as a girl of 7 saying to my mother: Mum, I want to make the costumes later...
Why do people sing and why don't they speak?
When you sing, you put your whole soul into the song. Think about it. With music, you express emotions that you might not otherwise be able to express. And the connection it creates between you and the listener is something very special. You sing your children to sleep, and with a song you let your partner know how much you love them. The voice is the instrument of your deepest feelings.
What role can/should musical theatre play in today's society?
Musical theatre is a combination of very different disciplines that together tell a story (music, theatre, sometimes also dance, costume and set design). It can be entertaining and accessible because of this combination. Because of the low threshold, several layers of the population come to the theatre, but in addition to entertainment, it can also have deeper meanings that make people laugh, cry or think, but also make them angry. And above all, it can enchant and make emotions explode.
Born in
Schiedam (The Netherlands)
Education
Costume Design at the Maastricht Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Wimbledon School of Arts in London
Important Engagements
Aida at the Opéra national de Paris, Alcina at the Deutschen Oper am Rhein, Les pêcheurs de perles at the Theater an der Wien, Il trittico at the Bavarian State Opera, Le nozze di Figaro at the Festival International d'Art Lyrique d'Aix-en-Provence
Debut and important works at the Volksoper Wien
Costume Design Jolanthe und der Nussknacker (Season 2022/23)
Further works: Die letzte Verschwörung (World Premiere), Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor (New Production)
Significant Prizes & Honours
2006: The Edmond Hustinx price for Fine Arts
Other
Jorine van Beek describes her work as follows:
"I am fascinated by people in their magnificent diversity of appearances, their vulnerability, impermanence and individuality. This vulnerability and transience, but above all the theatricality, play a major role in my work. In my work, I try to create a field of tension between the theatricality, the costumes and the materials. I am very inspired by the visual arts, literature and music, but also by everyday life.
Working according to a concept is crucial for me. Finding an all-round balanced concept is always a search for me in terms of content and form. In the end, I try to create a symbiosis between a strong concept and a strong image."
Website
* Use of the photograph only for the purpose of current reporting on the Volksoper Wien