Echo Klassik Award (instrumentalist of the year 2007)

The CD Paganini Caprices for Saxophone wins the Echo Klassik Award by the German Phonoakademie. This prize was presented to Hekkema during a live TV Gala on the German broadcast network ZDF on october 21.

VSCD Classical Music Award 2005 (with Calefax)

For the best Dutch performance in the 2004-2005 season. This national prize was awarded for the first time, and Calefax is proud to be the first winner in the Chamber Music category. Other winners were the ‘Orkest van de Nederlandse Bachvereniging’ (Orchestras), conductor Jaap van Zweden (individuals) and pianist Ralph van Raat (new generation).

Kersjes van de Groenekan Prize 2001 (with Calefax).
One of Holland’s major art prizes, awarded to stimulate young musicians.

CT & CW Euro 2000-pool
(Football, European Cup)
The prize money bought a much needed dish washer!

Philip Morris Art Prize 1997 (with Calefax)
This major prize allowed Calefax to realize several wishes: a registration of Raaf’s arrangement of Die Kunst der Fuge, several commissions for new works, and a trip to the United States. is taken from ‘Privé’, a dutch tabloid that interpreted my name as ‘Raak’.

CD of the week, De Telegraaf, 1997 (CD Debussy-Ravel, MDG 619 0658-2)

Laureate Gaudeamus Interpreter’s Competition for Contemporary Music, 1996. Raaf played Berio’s Sequenza IXb, Stockhausen’s ‘In Freundschaft’, Denisov’s Sonata and Daan Manneke’s ‘Soyons plus vite’.

…. I fell for the extraordinary way he shapes his tones […] he definitely disposes of the crassly brassy character of the saxophone, which Wagner described (with a self-invented word) as “Reckankreuzungsklankewerkzeuge”

…. his tone smelled of snowflakes and the quality of his pianissimo was such that it made you wonder whether he was still playing or not.

Ernst Vermeulen | NRC Handelsblad, 11 March 199

Geneva’s Concours Internationale d’Execution Musicale 1995.
Raaf embarked on this competition to forget a lost love, but started preparing much too late. Unexpectedly, he made it to the semifinals.

Second Prize Tromp Competition for the Benelux, 1994
The finale of this prestigious competition was broadcast live on the radio.

Tubantia Music Prize for Best Graduation 1994, Conservatory Enschede. Raaf played Ibert’s Concertino, Stockhausen’s In Freundschaft and his own arrangement of Ravel’s ‘Tombeau de Couperin’ with Calefax.

Tied First Prize Ensemble Competition Apeldoorn 1989 (Calefax).
First ever prize for Calefax. The only other contestants, Nederlands Trombone Kwartet and Utrechts Klarinet Kwartet, won tied first and third prize, respectively.

Basketball Champion aspirants regional competition North-Holland, with club Mosquito’s, 1983. After an eclatant victory tour through North-Holland, with results such as 109-6 and 113-7, the final against the strong contender Harlem Lakers was won thanks to two penalty shots taken by Raaf.

 

Photo: Unknown