Jaap Schröder

Dutch Baroque Violinist and Conductor

Jaap Schröder (1925–2020) was a distinguished Dutch violinist, conductor, and pedagogue, renowned for his expertise in the performance of Baroque music. He was a pioneer in the historical performance practice movement, which seeks to perform music as closely as possible to the way it would have been played at the time it was composed. Schröder served as concertmaster of several leading period-instrument ensembles, including the Concerto Amsterdam and the Academy of Ancient Music. He also co-founded the Archiv Produktion recording project with Deutsche Grammophon, which was instrumental in bringing early music to a wider audience. His recordings span a wide range of Baroque and Classical repertoire, including works by Bach, Handel, Mozart, and many others. Schröder's influence extended into education through his teaching at conservatories in The Hague, Amsterdam, Yale University, and the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. His contributions to classical music have left a lasting legacy in both performance and scholarship.