Born in Zaandam, Netherlands, Kee studied organ, piano and composition at the Amsterdam Conservatory, obtaining the Prix d'Excellence, and won first prize at the annual Haarlem International Improvisation Competition three times in succession (1953 to 1955).[4] This was the start of a worldwide career as a concert organist.
[5]
Kee taught at the Music Lyceum and Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam from 1954 until 1988, and at the Haarlem International Summer Academy for Organists. He was organist of the Hagerbeer-Schnitger organ in St. Laurens church in Alkmaar from 1952 to 1987, and city organist of the world-famous Müller organ at St. Bavo church in Haarlem from 1956 until 1989.[4][5]
Kee's improvisation skills were renowned. His compositions include "Haarlem Concerto", which received its first performance by Thomas Trotter in March 2006. His numerous recordings, several of which received awards, include a series of CDs on the Chandos label, covering the repertoire from Sweelinck to Messiaen, recorded on important European historical instruments.[4]
In February 2014, several of Kee's compositions were performed in a "Composer's Portrait" concert at the Orgelpark in Amsterdam. This included a version of The Organ for five pipe organs.[6]
The list below is selective. Publishers include Bärenreiter-Verlag (BA), Donemus (D), Harmonia (H), Hinrichsen/Peters (HP) and Boeijenga Music Publications (BO).
Recent compositions (see further below for details) include:
Organ and panpipes – Magic Pipes. Premiered on September 11, 2012 in St Bavo, with Matthijs Koene panpipes, and Jos van der Kooy organ. The piece was performed by the same artists at Bogazici University, Istanbul in November 2012.
Music and Space – for two organs, three trumpets and two trombones (1969) (D)
Confrontation – for church organ and three street organs (1979)
Network – for main organ plus small organ or electronic keyboard, alto saxophone and soprano recorder (1996) (BA 7421)
Festival Spirit – for main organ and four positiv or box organs, commissioned for performance by jury members of the St. Albans International Organ Festival competition, UK (2001)
Bios II – for organ, solo violin and percussion (2002)
Haarlem Concerto – for organ and orchestra (symphonic wind ensemble, an alto and tenor saxophone, double basses, percussion and harmonium) (2006) (D)
Performance – for alto saxophone and organ (2009) (BA 9392). (A version for twelve saxophones and organ is available by contacting Bärenreiter or the composer.)
The World – a mini oratorio using a text of Henry Vaughan for mixed choir, four vocal soloists (SATB) and ad libitum continuo instrument (1999) (BA 7587)
Heaven – an echo fantasy using a text of George Herbert for unaccompanied mixed choir and two echo sopranos (2000)
Kampanella for carillon (2011) – composed for the inauguration of the restored Hemony carillon (17th century) in Kampen, Netherlands
Improvisations – none transcribed, but the improvisation in the final of the 1953 Haarlem Organ Improvisation Competition, a Sonata in three movements, is available for listening from the NCRV archives. The contestants were Paul Barras, Anton Heiller, Piet Kee (winner), Matthieu Prange and Karl Richter.
Earlier recordings, released since 1954, can be found on the Telefunken, HMV, Philips and Guild labels.[7] Starting in 1989, Piet Kee made a series of eleven recordings for Chandos Records,[8] including works of Sweelinck, Pachelbel, Bruhns, Buxtehude, Bach, Walther, Mendelssohn, Franck, Alain, Reger, Hindemith, Andriessen and Messiaen on notable European instruments including St. Bavo Haarlem, St. Laurens Alkmaar, Roskilde Cathedral Denmark, Basilika Weingarten, Martini Church Groningen and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Several of these recordings are now available as MP3 downloads.
The Haarlem Essays, Celebrating Fifty International Organ Festivals. A major volume containing very extensive information from a wide range of authors including Piet Kee.
Choir & Organ magazine – an article entitled Competing Forces by Stephen Farr in the September/October 2015 issue, with interesting comments related to performances of Piet Kee's Network and Music in Space.
Choir & Organ magazine – a review of his Three Organ Pieces and The Organ by Stephen Farr in the September/October 2012 issue.
Royal College of Organists (RCO) Journal, Volume 6, 2012 – an article entitled "A life making music: a conversation with Piet Kee on his 85th birthday", with Andrew McCrea.
NCRV – Dutch Radio Association, providing extensive archive material with searching by composer, organist and instrument.
Scottish Federation of Organists News, Issue 10, January 2008 – an article entitled "Piet Kee in conversation with Philip Sawyer", which includes details of his recordings and compositions. (This article was also published in the May 2008 issue of Organists' Review.)
Choir & Organ magazine – an interview with Piet Kee in the November/December 2006 issue.
Het Orgel – Dutch organ magazine with summaries in English and useful links.
