Welmers received his first musical instruction from his father Sijbe Welmers (1901-1958), who worked as an organist, pianist, violinist, choral conductor and music teacher, and was very interested in new music of his time. He was further put on the track of new music by Johan van der Meer and Charles de Wolff, two musical pioneers in the city of Groningen. As a composer, he became known for his works in the style of minimal music.
After studying organ with Evert Westra, Welmers started his studies of organ with Wim van Beek and piano with Anton Tump at the Prince Claus Conservatoire in Groningen in 1958. He passed his Organ A and B examinations. He passed his C exam in 1967 in Utrecht, where he studied organ and improvisation with Cor Kee at the Utrecht Conservatoire. He then took composition lessons with Kees van Baaren, until the latter’s death in 1970, and lessons in new music with Ton de Leeuw.
Musical career[edit] Source text
Inspired by Wybren Veeman, an inventive musician who invented, among other things, a transportable studio, and the pianist Chaia Gerstein, he formed a trio that gave concerts focusing on improvisation on various instruments (including electronic ones).
In 1966 Welmers won the Nationaal Orgelimprovisatieconcours in Bolsward and in 1968 he took part in the International Improvisation Competition for Organists in Haarlem. In 1964 he became organist of the Triumfatorerk in Katwijk aan Zee, a position he held until 1974. After teaching theory at the Utrecht Conservatoire for some time, he was appointed as main subject organ teacher in 1974. In 1998 he retired from the conservatoire and concentrated on composing.
From 1974 to 2002 Jan Welmers was the permanent player of the König organ (1776) in the Grote or Sint-Stevenskerk in Nijmegen.
On 22 October 2005, at the opening concert of the Sweelinck Festival & Competition in the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam, Welmers was awarded the Sweelinck Prize for his entire oeuvre.