Nico Andriessen

Nico Andriessen, whose full name was Nicolaas Hendrik Andriessen, was a Dutch organist, choral conductor, and composer. He was born in Hilversum on 9 May 1845 and died in Haarlem on 16 May 1913.

Andriessen studied piano and organ in Hilversum, including with his father, Cornelis Andriessen, and later continued his training in Aachen. From 1863 he served as organist at the seminary in Culemborg, then at Rolduc in Kerkrade, and, from 1871, at St. Joseph's Church in Haarlem.

In 1897 he became director of the Haarlemsch Zanggenot singing society. He also conducted the Haarlem male choir Crescendo from 1876, the Amsterdam male choir Caecilia from 1886, and the mixed choir Jozef Haydn, which had developed from the Roman Catholic women's choir Jan Albert Ban in Haarlem.

His output consists mainly of works for male choir and is held by the Netherlands Music Institute. His choral works include Hymn of Praise for the Excelsior singing society in Amsterdam, composed in 1910; Columbus for soloists and male choir; The Gypsies, a male-choir work to a text by Guido Gezelle; The Scalboef for soloists, male choir, and piano, to a text by Hofdijk; Never Night; Psalm 84; and Two Songs, for male choir or quartet, containing Good Night and Sleep Well. He also wrote Holland, a song for alto and piano.

He was married to the painter Gesine Andriessen-Vester. Their children included the musicians Willem and Hendrik Andriessen, the sculptor Mari Andriessen, and Johanna Cecilia.