Faculty

Linda Rands, singing teacher

Linda Rands completed her studies at the Royal Academy of Music in 1975.  She then won a scholarship to the London Opera Centre where she sang, among others, the roles of Liu in Turandot and Kathleen in Vaughan Williams’ Riders to the Sea.  In 1977 she won a bursary from the Friends of Covent Garden to continue her studies and was offered a contract with English National Opera, where she sang in an enormous number of productions and performed many roles.  In 1985 she signed a one-year touring contract with The Sound of Music (Sister Bertha), an experience which led to her present-day interest in light music and musicals.  In 1985 she joined The Netherlands Opera, again singing numerous solo roles.  Concurrently, she was a member of “Musical Choice”, a soprano-baritone-piano trio specializing in light music and popular songs from a wide range of musicals.  In 1998 she joined the Netherlands Radio Choir, a move which has further broadened her wide experience of the concert and operatic repertoire.  When Linda performed the role of Mme. Silberklang in Mozart’s Der Schauspieldirektor, she developed a relationship with director Claudia Christern which resulted in their collaboration at Les Bertins.  Linda has taught professional and amateur singers for many years in light and classical music.  In addition, Linda gives lessons at three schools in the Netherlands and tutors a number of students enrolled at diverse conservatoria. 

music and stage director

To be determined.

Shai Lifschitz, pianist

Shai Lifshitz (Poria, Israel - 1966) began to play piano when he was 7 years old.  He took lessons from Tova Rat at the Petach Tiqwa conservatory, and in 1978 began composition lessons from Lev Kogan, Arik Shapira and Marc Kopitman.  In 1986 he won a bursary that allowed him to take lessons from the well-know pianist Yonathan Zak at the Rubin Academy in Tel Aviv.  In 1989 Shai came to The Netherlands.  He studied composition with Peter-Jan Wagemans, Klass de Vries and Geert van Keulen, and continued his piano study with Hans Dercksen.  Since then he has taught piano at various music schools, and is also the accompanist and arranger for the men's choir Manoeuvre.  He has worked on various musical and theatre productions (e.g., Miss Saigon, Oliver! and Anatevka).  Shai has written a great deal of chamber music, but also operas and a few orchestral works.  In 2001 he worked with composer Toek Numan in the work Domino for ensemble De Ereprijs and flute trio Tegenwind, and in 2002 he completed his 24-part piano work The Lover's Catalogue, inspired by the Don Juan theme, which he premiered in September 2005 in Amsterdam.

Bouke Werner, stagecraft

Bouke Werner (1984) is studying mechanical engineering in Rijswijk. To prepare for this, he completed a course of study at an instrument makers' school in Leiden.

Bouke participated as a stage technician in the first Les Bertins summer course in 2002.  He learned stage decor and lighting on the job, using his technical insight and improvisational talent.  Bouke has worked as stage technician with Opera Minora since 2005.