Monuments #10: Ben van Oosten

Celebrated organist Ben van Oosten (1955) put together a programme for the Vater-Müller organ that includes music by J.S. Bach, Georg Böhm, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Camille Saint-Saëns, among others.

Van Oosten studied organ and piano at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam and later at the Paris Conservatory. He became one of the most prominent international concert organists. In particular, his interpretation of and expertise in French symphonic organ music have been praised. In 2010, he was appointed Knight of the Order of the Dutch Lion on his 40th anniversary as a concert organist. Van Oosten has been organist at The Hague's Grote Kerk since 1990, where he is also artistic director of the annual International Organ Festival.