Anton Spronk is one of the leading cellists of his generation. He is a prizewinner at various national and international competitions, including first prize and two special awards at the Competition of the Cello Biennale Amsterdam, first prize at the International Mazzacurati Cello Competition in Turin and was a semi-finalist at both the ARD International Music Competition in Munich and the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels. Furthermore, in 2019 he receivedthe Prix du Rotary at the Verbier Festival and was awarded the Dutch Classical Talent Award in 2021.
At the age of four, Anton Spronk began cello lessons with his father, Frank Spronk, and continued his studies with Monique Bartels in Amsterdam from the age of twelve. He then obtained his bachelor’s degree in 2017 from the Zurich University of the Arts under the tutelage of Thomas Grossenbacher. Since then she has been studying with Jens Peter Maintz at the University of the Arts in Berlin.
He has participated in master classes by Steven Isserlis, Frans Helmerson, David Geringas, Valter Despalj, Anner Bijlsma, Jiang Wang, Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt, Troels Svane and Wolfgang Boettcher. He is also intensively involved in master classes at the International Music Academy in Liechtenstein. Having performed in numerous major concert halls in Europe, America and Asia – including the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Carnegie Hall in New York, Tonhalle Zürich, Seoul Arts Center and Berliner Philharmonie – Anton Spronk is a much sought-after soloist and chamber musician, collaborating with orchestras such as the Munich Chamber Orchestra, the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, the Hague Philharmonic, the South Netherlands Philharmonic and the RAI National Symphony Orchestra.
During the Biënnale Amsterdam Competition in October 2016, Anton Spronk gave the absolute premiere performance of “Out of Step”, a cello concerto dedicated to him by the Dutch composer Guus Janssen, and in June 2017, he gave the Swiss premiere performance of Máté Bella’s “Chuang Tzu’s Dream” at the Tonhalle Zürich, in a concert conducted by Péter Eötvös.
Anton Spronk is a laureate of the Foundation for Young Musical Talent Competition (SJMN) in the Netherlands, where he was awarded First Prize in both 2003 and 2009, and in 2010 he won the First Prize and the Audience Award at the Prinses Christina Competition in the Netherlands. He was also awarded a scholarship at the Swiss “Migros-Kulturprozent” competition in 2014, as well as in 2015, when he was also awarded an honorable mention at the “Witold Lutoslawski” International Cello Competition. In 2020 he won the “Kiefer-Hablitzel” competition in Bern, Switzerland. A passionate chamber musician, Anton Spronk frequently plays in various ensembles. In this capacity, in 2014, he won First Prize at the “Kiwanis” Competition in Zürich, playing with a clarinet trio.
He has participated in numerous international music festivals such as the Utrecht International Chamber Music Festival, Cello Biënnale Amsterdam, Gstaad Festival and Gonjiam Festival in South Korea. He also participated in the Verbier Festival Academy in 2019.
Anton Spronk is the artistic director of the “Eggenfelden Klassisch”, a renowned international music festival, which he founded in 2016 in collaboration with violinist Larissa Cidlinsky. The instrument played by Anton Spronk was built in 1865 by J. B. Vuillaume and is a cello generously loaned by “The Dutch Musical Instruments Foundation”.
