After graduating from Leiden University in Slavic Languages and Soviet Studies, Van der Duin completed a director's internship at the Ludwik Solski Academy for the Dramatic Arts[1] and studied Polish at the Polonia Research Institute [2] of the Jagiellonian University in Cracow, Poland.

After two years, Van der Duin left for Russia to study directing at the State Institute for Theatre Arts (GITIS)[3] in Moscow.

In his second year of study he switched to The Moscow School of Dramatic Art of renowned director Anatoly Vasiliev.

[6] In 1998, Van der Duin produced a festival of Russian classics at the King's Head Theatre,[7] London, for which he translated two Russian plays into English (The Suicide by Nikolai Erdman and Maria by Isaac Babel) and also directed the latter.

Nearly every summer since 2016, he directs operas, that are subsequently performed by conductor Stephen Ellery at festivals in Cardiff, Brighton, Frome and London.