The Conservatorium van Amsterdam is very pleased to announce that two top hornists, Laurens Woudenberg and Jasper de Waal, will join the Classical teaching staff at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. Laurens Woudenberg will be appointed regular guest teacher als of January 2019; Jasper de Waal’s appointment as principal subject teacher will commence September 2019, but he will already give various master classes next study year.

The conservatory is very happy to have these internationally renowned musicians. ‘Laurens Woudenberg has been principal hornist with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra since 2012, a position which Jasper de Waal has held until then. This will strengthen our bonds with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra even more,’ says Okke Westdorp, Associate Director and Head of the Classical Department. ‘With these two top musicians we can offer the next generation of hornists an excellent study programme.’

Laurens Woudenberg and Jasper de Waal are also very pleased to join the brass faculty. Laurens: ‘The Conservatorium van Amsterdam is renowned for its excellence and innovation in the field of education. I look forward to getting to work with the students.’ And Jasper: ‘The insitute is a hub of creativity. A wonderful place to teach.’

Laurens Woudenberg (1982) studied with Hans Dullaert and Herman Jeurissen at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague. In 2006 he joined the French horn section of the Gelders Orkest, eventually becoming its principal hornis. He also played with the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and with ensembles such as the Netherlands Wind Enemble and the ASKO/Schoenberg Ensemble. He has been principal hornist with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra since 2012. Additionally, he is active as a chamber musician; he regularly appears with Camerata RCO and RCO Brass, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra’s brass ensemble.

Jasper de Waal studied with Herman Jeurissen at the Brabants Conservatorium and with Vicente Zarzo at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague.  He performed as a soloist with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra, the Edinburgh Chamber Orchestra, the Potsdammer Philharmonie, Philharmonia Transylvania, Mittelsächsische Philharmonie, Philharmonisches Orchester Hagen, Camerata Amsterdam, under the baton of conductors such as Jevgeni Svetlanov, Jaap van Zweden, Alexandru Lascae and George Pehlivanian. In addition to his career a a hornist, Jasper has become motre and more active as a conductor, conducting orchestras such as the North Netehrlands Orchestra, the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and The Hague Philharmonic.