Gerben Grooten

2008 - 2020

The fifth conductor of the Pretoria Bach Choir

Gerben Grooten, born in the Netherlands August 1970. From an early age he has been involved in music. Starting traveling with orchestras from the age of 14, was admitted to the conservatory in Rotterdam at age 16 and working  as a professional player in orchestras, performing, touring and recording in Europe, Africa, Canada and the USA.  From studying with many great conductors like Valery Gergiev, Arie van Beek, Claudio Abbado and performers like Robert van Sice and Randy Max, he obtained his Masters' Degrees in Classical Orchestral Percussion and Choir and Orchestra Conducting. Other instruments he plays include piano and cello. In the last 20 years he has conducted various kinds of orchestras, choirs and contemporary ensembles in a wide range of musical styles. Gerben’s heart has always been in music education and when he was 25 he became the deputy director and project coordinator at a creative arts institution of 2000 students where he also taught classical percussion and was the orchestra and choir conductor. Ever since he has been working with many ensembles, choir and orchestras as a conductor and with organizations and universities around the world giving workshops, team-building and leadership seminars in the areas of life-skill and arts management.

In January 2005, he and his wife, Mieke, came to South Africa to be involved in music and art education and is currently the creative director for the Hatfield Art Centre in Pretoria, consisting out of two music schools, a full-time academy, a music publishing house and a record company. His uniquely developed SA curriculum has been established in academies in four continents. Also are he and his wife heading up the music ministry at Hatfield Christian Church with over 100 musicians, singers and dancers. 

In South Africa, Gerben has been lecturing  conducting at the university of Pretoria since 2009 and conducts and plays regularly with musical & tv productions and professional orchestras such as Freestate Symphony Orchestra, Unisa Foundation Symphony Orchestra, Cape Festival Opera, Eastern Cape Philharmonic, Gauteng Philharmonic, Johannesburg Philharmonic and Johannesburg Festival Orchestra. The last 5 years he has regularly conducted the South African National Youth Orchestras. He is a respected adjudicator for art schools and cultural festivals and is excited about the incredible amount of young talent in this country.  Recently he returned to his first love and started his own trio playing vibraphone and marimba.

He is presently the principal conductor for the Pretoria Symphony Orchestra, SA New Music Ensemble and the Pretoria Bach choir.  Although, in the last two years, Gerben has once again found himself in demand internationally as a conductor, he is certain of his calling in SA. He loves the people, the potential and entrepreneurial opportunities of the country

Edwin Mitas

2021 - present

The fifth conductor of the Pretoria Bach Choir

Edwin Mitas was born in Claremont, Cape Town on 15 November 1984. Bred in the little Karoo town of Oudtshoorn, he showed a love for sport and music at a very young age. He excelled equally in both, achieving provincial colours in rugby and conducting choirs from the age of 12. He recalls: “My first memory of choir singing was as a toddler attending a congregation choir practice with my mother in George. I was especially attracted to the acapella singing, which certainly laid the  foundation for my early music development and love for choir singing. However, it was the persons standing in front of the choir, waving their arms, that fascinated me the most. I often found myself imitating the choir conductor during practices and church services. At one Sunday afternoon service, the conductor on duty did not pitch up. There was no one to lead the choir. Soft whispers came through the choir benches encouraging me to go up and lead the choir. I plucked up the courage and walked forward, taking the lead, much to the delight of the choir and congregation. The rest, as they say, is history.”

It was eventually his passion for music that saw him relocate to Pretoria in 2004 to pursue his musical career in the South African Air Force (SAAF). He currently serves as principal clarinetist (ATCL) in the SAAF band and obtained his Licentiate in music directing (LRSM) under the mentorship of Gerben Grooten. A short stint as the conductor of the SAAF HQ Choir in 2017, saw them crowned with their inaugural title as National Champions of the South African National Defense Force (SANDF), a first in the history of the SAAF!

In 2016 he successfully launched a choir at the Belgium IT campus in Pretoria. Then, in 2017, Edwin was appointed as resident conductor and artistic director of the University of Pretoria (UP) Onderstepoort Community Choir. Under his leadership the choir was crowned Champions of the Open Category for University and College Choirs in the 10th World Choir Games held in South Africa in 2018. He was also selected to form part of a South African delegation for an International Conductors Exchange Program (ICEP) to the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) in 2019 where he worked with choirs in various states.

Edwin is also very active in his church's music ministry, which sees him teaching choir and orchestra. He was influential with the launch and successful establishment of the New Apostolic Church Gauteng Concert Choir and Orchestra in 2019.

On 3 October 2021, he was also at the helm of successfully launching the Community Philharmonic Orchestra based in Tshwane.

In 2021 Edwin was asked by Gerben Grootten take the baton to lead the Pretoria Bach Choir to continue the long-standing legacy of this choir. After two long years of COVID-imposed on-line choir practices, the PBC has finally been able to rehearse in person again under the energetic leadership of Edwin, and the choir has emerged from this ‘hibernation and self-isolating practicing’ with Handel's iconic masterpiece The Messiah to be performed on 24 April 2022 on the 60th anniversary of the choir.

Edwin is married to Andrea Kayser-Mitas. Their union has been blessed with a Godly offspring of three daughters, Emily, Emlynne and A'vigail.

Edwin’s gratefulness for the opportunities of leading many choirs over the years is echoed in the words by Johan Sebastian Bach: "I play the notes as they are written; it is God that makes the music." SDG (Soli Deo Gloria)