About
Pieter Jan Leusink (born April 5, 1958 in Elburg) is a Dutch conductor of classical music.
He studied organ in Zwolle at the Municipal Conservatory and took conducting lessons from Gottfried van der Horst. He founded the Stadsknapenkoor Elburg (Elburg City Boys' Choir) in April 1981 and founded three musical events in Elburg's St Nicholas Church, a Festival of Lessons and Carols in December, J.S. Bach's St Matthew Passion (BWV 244) during the Easter season, and summer concerts in July and August. He began conducting the Holland Boys Choir in 1984; currently it has 80 singers.
Ten years later, in 1994, founded The Leusink Bach Orchestra and one year later, an adult mixed choir, The Bach Choir of the Netherlands. They later merged into The Bach Choir and Orchestra. He is best known for his recordings of Bach in particular, Handel, Mozart, Fauré and Antonio Vivaldi and has performed in England, Wales, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Poland, Latvia and his native Netherlands. Every year throughout the Netherlands about 150 concerts are performed by the choirs and the orchestra of Leusink. In 1999 and 2000 Leusink recorded all of Bach's sacred cantatas within 15 months.
In 2004, Leusink was honored with the Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion.