NPO commemorates the death of Louis van Dijk | TV

In the conversation you see Van dijk with Niehe, also an accredited pianist, returns to his long career. Van Dijk has produced countless albums since the early 1960s. He also used to perform with others.

Making music was the creed of the pianist and organist. Be it classical or jazz music. Alone or together with others, it didn’t matter. That was the reason why Van Dijk could not be easily typecast. He has worked with many people in his life, including Gillespie dizzy, Gerard Cox and Mr Pieter van Vollenhoven. He made concerts with the latter for the Victim Support Fund. With Van Vollenhoven and Pim Jacobs He also often acted under the name of Winged Friends.

Performance with daughter

He also performed with his daughter, a television presenter. Selma van Dijk, who played and sang the violin. Van Dijk was also the main source of inspiration for the pianist in the 1960s. Cor Bakker. Van Dijk also urged young Bakker to go to the conservatory to further develop his musical talents.

Van Dijk made numerous albums, for which he received the same number of awards. He received no less than three Edisons, three platinum records, and nineteen gold. In 2007 he received the Golden Harp and in 2013 he received the Golden Age Award for all his work.

Bach like an idol

Van Dijk studied piano and organ at the Amsterdam Conservatory. In 1964 he graduated cum laude in classical music to play the piano solo. In the classical field, his greatest idol was undoubtedly Johan Sebastiaan Bach.

But already during his studies he was also fascinated by jazz music. Oscar Peterson and Bill evans were their great heroes in this genre. Already in 1961 he won the Loosdrecht Jazz Competition. It turned out to be the prelude to a versatile musical career. Subsequently, Van Dijk worked for many years with Ramses Shaffy and Liesbeth’s List in the Shaffy Chantant outfit. He also traveled the country just to play songs from, for example, The Beatles on the church organ in small churches.