Edouard Potjes

Edouard-Adrien-Nicolas Potjes (Dutch: Eduard Adriaan Nicolaas), born in Nijmegen (the Netherlands) on 13 August 1860 and died on 4 January 1931 in Seattle (United States), was a Dutch composer.

He began his music studies at the age of 7. He received the rudiments of piano from P. Van Merkestein, and learned harmony and counterpoint from Grégoire Van Dyck in Boxmeer. From 1878 to 1880 he attended composition classes by Richard Hol. After that, at Cologne, he was pupil of Ferdinand Hiller (composition) and of Jacob Kwast (piano). He graduated from the University of Belgium in 1887.

After completing his studies, Potjes established in Antwerp as a music teacher and in 1885 he had the opportunity to be heard by Liszt; following his advice he applied for the position of piano teacher at the Strasbourg Pādagogium and was accepted. He soon left Strasbourg to make an artistic tour in the Netherlands. In the following year (1887), he moved back to Antwerp, continuing to make numerous artistic tours in England and France.

When the professor of piano at the Conservatory of Ghent, Max Heynderickx, died on 12 June 1893, a competition was held for his replacement. Several talented artists applied for the position, but the jury decided for Potjes, and he was confirmed by a royal decree on 29 December 1893.

In 1917 he resigned the post he had held for twenty-two years as head of the Virtuoso Piano Department at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent to immigrate to the United States as a war refugee. He moved to Seattle in 1922, and became a U.S. citizen in 1924. He toured many European countries as a concert pianist, and composed several grand operas. Potjes taught piano, harmony and composition, and taught at the Cornish School for one year. After leaving Cornish School, Potjes spent the rest of his days teaching private classes and composing, until his death in 1931.

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