Niels Swinkels

Niels Swinkels is a freelance journalist, musicologist, sound engineer, and radio producer. Born and raised in the Netherlands, he studied English and Musicology at the University of Nijmegen. Before moving to San Francisco, he was the Arts Editor, and Senior Classical Music & Opera critic for Brabants Dagblad, a Dutch daily newspaper. In addition to writing for the Classical Voice and others, he is producer for KALW’s Open Air, a weekly radio magazine for the Bay Area performing arts. He is also a wine guy at Trader Joe’s Nob Hill. Read more about Niels at his website.

Articles By This Author

Niels Swinkels - August 11, 2014

The Bay Area was served a generous helping of Russian vocal music last week during the West Coast’s first Russian Choral Festival.

Niels Swinkels - August 5, 2014

The West Edge Opera’s creative team managed to create a functional, and most of all intimate performance space for its three operas this season, notably in Jake Heggie’s The End of the Affair.

Niels Swinkels - August 2, 2014

The Merola Opera program's staging of Don Giovanni, directed by James Darrah, offers an incredibly talented cast in an erotically charged, very physical environment.

Niels Swinkels - July 21, 2014

ABS Festival and Academy participants show no moderation at all in their splendid performance of Handel’s L’Allegro.

Niels Swinkels - July 14, 2014

The American Bach Soloists convey listeners into a festive spirit with a variety of works that influenced J.S. Bach, including Frederick the Great, Buxtehude, Kuhnau, and a Bach cousin.

Niels Swinkels - June 7, 2014

The Berkeley Festival and Exhibition brings together the best early music ensembles and musicians. This year’s impressive list of performers also featured Belgian vocal ensemble Vox Luminis.

Niels Swinkels - May 26, 2014

A S.F. Symphony concert of a hard-hitting (and string-breaking) Prokofiev combines with easy listening classical before a auditorium at Davies Symphony Hall.

Niels Swinkels - May 21, 2014

Volti closed its 35th season with world premieres of music by American composers Melissa Dunphy and Ted Hearne, plus two Volti-commissions by Kirke Mechem.

Niels Swinkels - May 13, 2014

The second concert from the S.F. Symphony with Dutch guest conductor Ton Koopman offers a view of the great German composer through the eyes of a Bach scholar, and a lesson in why he considers Bach the center of his musical world.

Niels Swinkels - May 9, 2014

The inaugural season of maestro Donato Cabrera’s tenure at the California Symphony concluded last Sunday with the concert ‘A Russian Spectacular’ at the Lesher Center in Walnut Creek.