Monique Heidema is known as an expressive cellist with a strong musical talent. She has a deep preference for performing chamber music in the most diverse styles. She is playing in the ensembles:
Duo Heidema - Telderman and Indigo Piano Quartet
Besides giving concerts she is a very inspiring and popular teacher.
Her motto is: "Everyone who wants to learn playing an instrument has the rights to get highly qualified education!"
In this quality she is head Professor for Young Talent, Bachelor and Master students at : Conservatorium te Amsterdam Sweelinck Academie and Fontys Conservatorium Tilburg (AMPA)
Monique Heidema only got her first cello lessons at the age of 16. She studied at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam and at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague with Professor Monique Bartels. She got masterclasses from : William Pleeth, Dimitri Ferschtman, Gerhard Mantel, Ivan Monighetti, Colin Carr, Anner Bijlsma and Mtsislav Rostropovich.
She was a member of cello8tet Amsterdam and the Doelensensemble Rotterdam. The Dutch composer Peter Jan Wagemans dedicated the composition "Frage, worauf hoffen?" to her. Not only in the Netherlands, but also on the stages of France, Spain, Taiwan, Sweden, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Liechtenstein, United States of America and Russia she gave already many concerts.
Regularly, she is asked to take part in committees and jury's, such as for admission and final examinations of the various conservatories in the Netherlands, during the state examinations of the Schumann academy, the competition "stage4kids" or at the Prinses Christina Concours.
For years she has played in the Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest and she has played several times as a soloist with symphonic and string orchestras.
Monique is very happy and grateful The Dutch fund Nationaal Muziek Instrumentenfonds gives her the opportunity to play on the beautiful cello made by Romeo Antoniazzi (1920, Cremona).
Recently she made a successful tour to Taiwan. She was also invited to give masterclasses to students from the Conservatoire Superior in Salamanca (Spain) and she was in St. Petersburg (Russia) for sold out concerts in the famous halls the Philharmony and the Hermitage.
