Melina Meschkat & Jouke Wijmenga
New Core Members
The Netherlands Chamber Choir welcomes two new core members: Melina Meschkat (alto) and Jouke Wijmenga (bass). Tido Visser: “We are absolutely delighted that two such top talents have joined us. They feel at home in our innovative and engaged programming and the warm, collegial atmosphere within the choir. Moreover, Jouke and Melina fit within a tradition where soloistic qualities go hand in hand with ensemble singing at the highest level. They already demonstrated this beautifully in the Saturday Matinee in December, when we performed Poor Hymnal by David Lang.”
Melina Meschkat - alto
After graduating cum laude with her bachelor's degree, Melina began her master's in opera at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hamburg. During her studies, she was already invited to perform as a soloist in various opera houses and discovered her love for choral singing with ensembles such as the Kammerchor Saarbrücken. Since 2021, she has toured multiple times a year with the Netherlands Chamber Choir. Melina is regularly invited as a soloist for concerts, primarily in Europe. After completing her master's, she moved to Groningen, where she lives with her partner, dog, and baby.
Watch and listen to Melina
Jouke Wijmenga - bass
Jouke was first introduced to choral music at the Koorschool in Haarlem, where he sang weekly in churches and concert halls across the Netherlands—and sometimes beyond. After finishing high school, he realized that singing was still his greatest passion and went on to study at the conservatory in Rotterdam, where he was taught by Henk Neven and graduated in 2020. He is currently coached by Margreet Honig and is active both as a soloist and as an ensemble singer. Since 2024, Jouke has been a permanent member of the Netherlands Chamber Choir.
Watch and listen to Jouke
