Home

Sven Heinze

Aural Skills / Theoretical Analysis / Applied Theory Combo

Sven Heinze (*1983) studied Composing/Arranging Jazz with Wolfgang Braun, Michael Abene and Marko Lackner and Classical Orchestral Conducting with Jan Stulen and Enrico Delamboye at Maastricht University of Music.

Roman Krejci

Classical guitar

Roman Krejci (born 1974) began dedicating his life to music and the guitar at the age of seventeen. Between 1993 and 2006, he studied at four different conservatoires and music colleges (Janacek Conservatory in Ostrava, Music Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Praha, Felix Mendelssohn College of Music and Theater in Leipzig and Conservatorium Maastricht). He completed all his studies with the highest marks and cum laude.

Richard Didden

Jazz trumpet junior jazz

Richard is a much sought-after trumpeter with national and international bands, big bands, and symphonic orchestras. He was lead trumpet in the orchestra for The Night of the Proms. Richard has toured the world and worked with stars such as Toots Thielemans, Simply Red, Seal, Eros Ramazotti, Elvis Costello, Bob Mintzer, Chuck and Bob Findley, Sinéad O’Connor, and many others.

Yolande Eymael

Vocals / Lecturer Education and Didactics, Methodology, Internship coordinator

Hugo Fredrix

Music and Technology and IT / IT

Hugo Fredrix (born 1970) has been a lecturer in Music and Information Technology in all departments of Conservatorium Maastricht since 1999. He is also the system administrator. He is responsible for all the software and equipment, and instructs students in the use of the PC for audio recording and editing, and music notation.

Vykintas Baltakas

Classical Composition

Vykintas Baltakas (1972) is a musical Scheherazade. His music keeps pulling you in and referencing itself, sometimes branching off and reinventing itself, and sometimes returning to where it started. He weaves musical stories that are linked with a delicate interconnected web.

Sam David Wamper

Jazz Eartraining (temporary replacement Jan Nobbe)

Sam David Wamper studied jazz piano with Frank Giebels and classical piano with Avi Schönfeld at the Conservatory of Maastricht, after which he continued his studies at the Conservatory of Rotterdam (Codarts) where he studied composition and music theory. 

Roderik Povel

Junior Jazz Vocals / Coordinator Junior Jazz / Band Coaching

Roderik Povel (1976) is a lecturer in Jazz Vocals, Ensemble and Master research coach in the Jazz department of Conservatorium Maastricht, and curriculum developer of the Junior Jazz Department and chair of the Study Programme Committee.

Ron van Stratum

Jazz Drums / Latin Band Coaching / Percussion & Pulse / Module Advanced Rhythm

Drummer/percussionist, band leader and composer Ron van Stratum (born 1961) has a reputation for feeling at home in a wide variety of musical styles: from jazz to pop, from Latin to rock. Having studied both classical percussion and jazz/pop drums, he can draw on a huge technical and above all musical vocabulary. He has taught Drums and Combo in the Jazz department of Conservatorium Maastricht since 1992.

Math Scheffer

Jazz Piano / Applied Piano Jazz

Math Scheffer (born 1956) has taught Jazz Piano at Conservatorium Maastricht since 1985.

Piotr Jasiurkowski

Classical Violin

Piotr Jasiurkowski (born 1987) is a Concert Violinist and Classical Violin teacher at Conservatorium Maastricht.

Alexander Boerner

Jazz Electric Bass / Band Coaching

Bass guitarist Alexander Boerner (born 1963) has taught Jazz/Pop Bass Guitar and Combo Playing at Conservatorium Maastricht since 1993.

Anja van der Aa

Facilities / Locationmanager

Claudia Alsdorf

Projectmanager Classical

After training as an organ builder, Claudia Alsdorf studied at Conservatorium Maastricht. During her studies, she already assisted the project office of the Classical Music department. She is now responsible for the (logistical) planning of projects with larger ensembles like choir or orchestra and opera. She is also the point of contact for defects in instruments belonging to the conservatoire, and she arranges the lending of instruments.  

Thomas Breems

Facilities employee

Nadine Walstock

Education Affairs Office

Nadine Walstock works for Academic Affairs at Conservatorium Maastricht. She trained as a secretarial assistant and has worked with us since 2013. She is responsible for the examination programme and study progress of the Classical Music department.  

Seamus Blake (Guest Teacher)

Jazz Saxophone - Guest Teacher

New York based saxophonist/composer Seamus Blake is recognized as one of the finest exponents of contemporary jazz. His music is known for its sophistication, bold improvisations and “sheer swagger".  John Scofield, who hired Seamus for his “Quiet Band,” called him “extraordinary, a total saxophonist.” Throughout his 24 year career, Seamus has garnered critical praise for his masterful playing, his fine compositional skills and for his facility as a leader.  

Bart Claessens

Classical trombone / Methodology

Bart Claessens (born 1982) started playing the trombone at the age of eleven after having played the trumpet for several years. He also played the violin for a good number of years. Claessens studied trombone at the Rotterdam Conservatory with George Wiegel. He has had private lessons and participated in masterclasses with some of the greatest trombone players, such as Joseph Alessi, Michel Becquet, Bart van Lier and Christian Lindberg. Claessens joined the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam as a tenor and bass trombonist while still a student in March 2002, and was appointed Principal Trombonist of the orchestra in 2007.

Leon Bosch

Classical Clarinet

Leon Bosch (born 1959) has been teaching Clarinet at Conservatorium Maastricht since 2008. In addition, he coaches students at various other academies of music. He studied Clarinet, E-flat Clarinet and Conducting at Conservatorium Maastricht. He started his musical career as a substitute at the Limburg Symphony Orchestra and later performed with orchestras such as the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, the WDR Symphony Orchestra in Cologne, and De Nederlandse Opera.

Marjo Jöbses

Librarian

Giannis Montesantos

Adminstrative Assistant

Míriam Pascual Benavent

Coordinator European Opera Academy / Your Art as a Business (Coordinator) / Research Coach

Michaël Kugel

Classical viola

Michaël Kugel (1946) studied violin at the Beethoven School of Music and at the Music College in Kharkov (USSR). Later he studied viola, composition and conducting at the Leningrad Conservatory in St. Petersburg. In the USSR he was the soloist at the Moscow Philharmonic Organisation 'Mosconcert', violist of the Beethoven State Quartet and lecturer at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory.

Matthias Nowak

Jazz Double Bass / Band Coaching / Applied Theory Combo / Master Research Coach

Matthias has studied orchestral music, jazz and popular music at Musikhochschule Mannheim, Germany and Queens College, New York. He participated in master classes with Charlie Haden, Drew Gress, Eric Harland and has played in classical orchestras, such as Young Austrian Philharmonic Orchestra and Junge Deutsche Philharmonie.

Maja Jasinska

Flute for saxophonists

Maja Jasinska is a flute player from Poland and gives concerts in the classical, jazz and pop field regularly. She is a flute teacher for jazz saxophonists at the Conservatorium Maastricht. Maja is also a successful social media blogger, her Instagram account has already attracted the attention of tens of thousands flute players from around the world.

Katia Veekmans

Classical Piano

An outstanding soloist as well as a fine chamber musician, Katia Veekmans-Cieszkowski is considered as one of the most brilliant Belgian pianists. She distinguished herself in several national and international competitions before embarking on a career in which she has appeared both in Belgium and abroad with internationally renowned orchestras under eminent conductors.

Philippe Benoit

Classical flute

Philippe Benoit (born 1961) teaches Flute at Conservatorium Maastricht. He also teaches Flute and Chamber music at the academies of music in Gent and Leuven (Belgium). He studied at the Stedelijk Conservatorium in Kortrijk and continued his studies in Flute and Chamber Music at the Lemmens Institute in Leuven (Belgium) with Eric Dequeker, among others. He won first prizes in harmony, counterpoint, and chamber music.

Boris Belkin

Classical Violin

Boris Belkin began studying the violin at the age of six and made his first public appearance with the great conductor Kyrill Kondrashin when he was seven. He studied at the Central Music School of the Moscow Conservatory with professors Yankeievitz, Glezarova and Andrievsky. While still a student he played all over the Soviet Union as a soloist with leading national orchestras, and in 1973 won first prize at the Soviet National competition for Violinists.

Marc Tooten

Classical Viola / Chamber Music

Marc Tooten (born 1957) teaches Viola in the Classical Music department at Conservatorium Maastricht. He also teaches Viola and Chamber Music at the Lemmens Institute in Leuven (Belgium) and gives masterclasses in France, Portugal, Norway, Spain and Hungary, including for the European Academy of Arts. Tooten studied at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels and the Sweelinck Academy in Amsterdam and was principal soloist with the I Fiamminghi chamber orchestra, the Beethoven Academy and the Brabants Orkest Eindhoven. He is often invited to perform as a soloist with the Royal Flemish Philharmonic, the Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic in Hilversum, philharmonie zuidnederland, the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne and the Orqustra Ciudad de Granada.

Marlies Hoen

Student affairs office

Gabriel Schwabe

Classical Cello

Gabriel Schwabe is a laureate of three of the most prestigious cello competitions: the Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann in Berlin, the Concours Rostropovich in Paris and the Pierre Fournier Award in London. Important critics praise his expressive interpretations and technical abilities paired with a compelling presence on stage. Norbert Hornig: ''Gabriel Schwabe is a cello phenomenon, commanding his instrument with nuance and facility.'' Or Harald Eggebrecht: ''No one in the audience will soon forget Gabriel Schwabe, as, suddenly, more than a trace of Feuermann could be felt in the hall.“

Hans Nickel

Classical tuba / Methodology Tuba

The internationally acclaimed performer, teacher, clinician, and adjudicator Dutch born Hans Nickel, has held the solo tuba position with the WDR Symphony Orchestra since 1986.

Gustav Rivinius

Classical Cello

Gustav Rivinius (born 1965) is the first and only German musician to be awarded a first prize Gold Medal at the 1990 International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. He also received a special prize for the best interpretation of a Tchaikovsky composition, out-performing all other competitors. Since then he has appeared with leading musicians, orchestras and conductors around the world. At Conservatorium Maastricht, he teaches Cello in the Classical Music department.

Donné Schols

HR-Functionaris

Petra Meloni

Teacher Italian / German

Arnoud Gerritse

Jazz Drums / Band Coaching / Jazz Rhythmic Solfège

Arnoud Gerritse (born 1957) has been a lecturer in Drums and leader of the big band at Conservatorium Maastricht since 1989, and at the Conservatory of Ghent (Belgium) since 1995. He also teaches on the online music platform eStaccato.

Anneleen Lenaerts

Classical Harp

Belgian harpist Anneleen Lenaerts is making a name for herself as one of the leading soloists of her instrument. In December 2010 Anneleen was appointed Principal Harpist of the Vienna Philharmonic.

Eva van Grinsven

Classical Saxophone

Eva has been teaching classical saxophone at the Maastricht Conservatory since 2016. In 2008 Eva graduated with honour from the Amsterdam Conservatory, where she studied with her mentor and constant source of inspiration Arno Bornkamp. In that same year, her duo Sax & Stix won the Vriendenkrans, of the Concertgebouw and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Later, with the Berlage Saxophone Quartet, Eva received both the Jury- and Public Award from the Dutch Classical Talent Award 2013 and the Kersjesprijs 2015.

Heleen van Rosmalen

Classical Methodology Flute

Heleen van Rosmalen (born 1963) teaches Flute Methodology at Conservatorium Maastricht. She also teaches music at the Valuas College in Venlo, where she has been the coordinator of the Conservatorium Maastricht preparatory programme since 2005.

Rik Bastiaens

Head of Programme Classical 2 / Research Coordinator / Teacher Junior Advanced Musical Skills

Rik Bastiaens (born 1975) studied Organ with Dorthy de Rooij and Theory of Music at Conservatorium Maastricht. He continued his musical development by studying Composition and Conducting at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, Belgium. He has been the organist of the Binvignat organ in the Mathias Church in Maastricht since he obtained his degree in Organ Teaching in 1997. As theory teacher of the Junior Conservatorium Maastricht he develops teaching methods using improvisation, group dynamics and theory in practice. These classes aim for a practical application of theory, geared to the specific needs of the instrument. In the Master of Music programme, Rik Bastiaens works on the development of research in music, with the relationship between research, the main subject and the professional field being the key element. In this process, new modes of documentation and publication are explored in which the sounding result is essential as a tool of communication.  

Robert Szreder

Classical violin (Junior Classical Department)

Violinist and pedagogue Robert Szreder teaches Violin at Conservatorium Maastricht. He also works as a guest lecturer and gives masterclasses around the world, including in the USA, Russia, Ireland, Poland, Germany, China and Korea.

Hilb Baisha

Junior Jazz / Guitar

Hlib is an innovative musician bringing to jazz new sounds, techniques, and unconventional arrangements: He merges jazz improvisation concepts with a variety of different forms of classical and contemporary music. A possession of a unique archtop nylon-string guitar allows Hlib to enrich his jazz performance with classical, flamenco, and Brazilian techniques.  

Emile Gerards

Facilities employee

Marcel Verheggen

Classical Organ

Marcel Verheggen (born 1961) has taught Organ at Conservatorium Maastricht since 2002, and frequently gives masterclasses in the Netherlands and abroad. He studied Organ and Music Theory at Conservatorium Maastricht, attended several international masterclasses, and continued his Organ studies under Guy Bovet in Switzerland.

Piotr Torunski

Clarinet for Saxophonists

Piotr Torunski is steadily gaining attention as a talented bass clarinet /clarinet player. With numerous performances at internationally recognized venues, musical awards, and a refreshingly original sound, he continues to expand his reputation as a talented and versatile musician. He graduated from the Music Conservatory in Katowice (Poland) Master Classical Studies (2003-2008). During his studies he collaborated with Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice directed by Krzysztof Penderecki and Sinfonietta Cracovia directed by John Axelrod (USA).

Inés Costales

Guest lecturer

Jori Klomp

Choir practice and conducting (temporary position)

De in België  geborene Nederlander Jori Klomp (1991) is saxofonist, zanger én dirigent. In 2013 behaalde hij aan het Conservatorium Maastricht (NL) zijn bachelordiploma klassieke saxofoon, een jaar later volgde het bachelordiploma solozang en in 2018 volgde het master diploma Directie aan de Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht (NL).

Robert van der Padt

Jazz / Booking Agency

Robert van der Padt is the Booking Agent Jazz Department. He grew up in Maastricht and lives in Amsterdam. He received his Master of Music in jazz piano with Jeroen van Vliet in Tilburg after earning his bachelor's degree in Utrecht. As a pianist/composer, he performs with his own bands at many venues and festivals in the Netherlands and Belgium, and this sparked his interest in booking concerts and bringing programmer and artist together. In 2015 he founded Birdcall Bookings, with which he supports young bands in the crossover jazz genre and advice in booking concerts.  

Jeremy Hulin

Pianist / Music Conductor Opera

Jeremy Hulin (born 1956) has been working at Conservatorium Maastricht since 1998. In 2005 he became Musical Director of the Opera department. He is also the opera accompanist.

Esmée Bor Stotijn

Jazz Vocals / Backing Vocals

Esmee Bor (born 1976) teaches Vocals as a main subject in the Jazz department of Conservatorium Maastricht. As a backing vocalist, Bor has worked with artists including Berget Lewis, Trijntje Oosterhuis, Karin Bloemen, Freek de Jonge, Postmen, Rocq-E Harrell, Michelle David and The New London Chorale. She sang in the house band of Wim T. Schippers' TV programme 'Flogiston' for 20 shows.

Carlo Marchione

Classical guitar

Carlo Marchione (born 1964) teaches Classical Guitar at Conservatorium Maastricht. He graduated cum laude at the Conservatorio S. Cecilia in Rome (Italy). Marchione regularly gives masterclasses at major festivals and conservatoires in Europe and America (Milano, Madrid, Lille, Rome, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, etc.). He also gives lectures about the most important arguments concerning analysis and performance of the guitar repertoire (Bach’s Ciaccona, Britten-Nocturnal, Ponce-Sonata III, Sor-Fantaisie Elegiaque, etc.). These workshops are usually part of a series of lectures taught by leading guitar professors.

Igor Roma

Classical Piano

Italian pianist Igor Roma began his studies at the Conservatoire of music in Vicenza with Carlo Mazzoli and continued at the International Piano Academy “Incontri col Maestro” in Imola, where he studied with Franco Scala and graduated as a Master in 1997.

Susanne Schneider

Jazz Vocals

Vocalist Susanne Schneider has been teaching at Conservatorium Maastricht since 2003 (main subject), and at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln since 1998 (main subject, vocal improvisation, teaching methodology).

Frans Gulikers

Guitar Docent Muziek / Practicum Popmusic / Study Career Guide Jazz / Advanced Teaching Skills & Guitar Methodics Jazz / Academic Council Member

Kitty ten Dam

Facilities employee

Jack Coenen

Jazz Trombone / Big Band / Band Coaching

JACK COENEN (1961), trombone Jack Coenen is the leader of the renowned Jack Million Band which he founded in 1996. The Jack Million Band is specialized in the music of the ‘Swing Era’. For this Jack Coenen received an award from the Big Band Hall of Fame (U.S.A., Florida) and the Glenn Miller Birthplace Society (U.S.A., Iowa)

Mella Klaessen

Lecturer Music in Movement and internship coach

Mella Klaessen (1991) behaalde in 2013 haar diploma Docent Muziek aan het Conservatorium Maastricht. Ook volgde ze de vooropleiding docent drama/regisseur aan de Toneelacademie van Maastricht. Al voor haar afstuderen was zij werkzaam op het conservatorium als docent Muziek in Beweging/Performance, hetgeen ze daarna heeft verdergezet. Ook geeft ze namens het Factorium in Tilburg muzieklessen en trainingen aan zowel kinderen als leerkrachten. Daarnaast is ze te vinden in diverse muziek- en theaterformaties op diverse podia.

Anja Hendriks-Ploum

Facilities employee

Anja Hendriks has worked at Conservatorium Maastricht since 2009. She is a part-time front office support officer in the Jazz and Music in Education Department.

Robert Weirauch

Piano accompaniment

Robert Weirauch (born 1974) studied piano and composition at Conservatorium Maastricht, with Tonie Ehlen and John Slangen respectively. From 2006 he has been working at Conservatorium Maastricht as a piano coach, accompanying mainly wind players and singers. He also plays piano and celeste with Philharmonie Zuidnederland and performs chamber music and song recitals.  

Constant Notten

Piano accompaniment

Pianist Constant Notten (born 1958) has worked as a rehearsal pianist at Conservatorium Maastricht since 1985. He also cooperates in the Master's programmes of the Zuid-Nederlandse Hogeschool voor Muziek.

Louis van Eeten

Studio Manager

Susanne Schimmack

Classical Singing / Opera

When German soprano Susanne Schimmack performed in the 1997 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition, she was pronounced “the Rolls Royce of voices”. The London Times stated "...the luxurious-sounding German singer Susanne Schimmack". “Susanne Schimmack’s ‘Cassandre’ dominates the entire performance through her noble phrasing, her intelligent role portrayal and her excellent French diction” (Opéra). Since then, Schimmack has successfully sung around 90 operatic roles, including Turandot, Kundry/Parsifal, Feldmarschallin/Rosenkavalier, Marta Tiefland, Ellen Orford/ Peter Grimes, Cassandre/ Les Troyens, Carmen/Carmen. Engagements have taken her to the Theatre Royal de la Monnaie Brussels, the Czech National Opera Brno, Staatstheater Mainz, Nationaltheater Mannheim, Opera Pacific USA, Arizona Opera USA, Pfalztheater Kaiserslautern, the theatres of Dortmund, Frankfurt, Chemnitz, Staatstheater Kassel, Dessau, Lübeck, Ulm, Trier, Wuppertal, Gera, the Musikfestspiele Dresden, Budapest Spring Festival, Festival d'Auvers-sur-Oise France, Festspiele Bad Hersfeld as well as the broadcasting companies BBC, DR, ZDF, WDR and NDR. Alongside Angela Georghiu and Roberto Alagna, she has recorded a new complete edition of Massenet’s Manon under the baton of Antonio Pappano.

Joop Celis

Classical Piano

Joop Celis (born 1958) teaches Piano and Chamber Music in the Classical Music department of Conservatorium Maastricht. He also teaches at the Lemmens campus of the LUCA School of Arts in Leuven, Belgium. He is a guest lecturer at Fontys Conservatorium in Tilburg (the Netherlands) and regularly teaches masterclasses abroad in Belgium, Portugal and Asia.

Ellen Bliek

Jazz Vocals at Junior Jazz Department

Ellen Bliek is a Dutch jazz/pop singer and vocal teacher. She studied Jazz Vocals at the conservatory of Maastricht (NL), succesfully earning both a bachelor (2005) and master’s degree (2007).

Ian van Wolferen

Music Theory

Ian van Wolferen (1995) doceert muziektheorie aan de afdelingen Docent Muziek en Junior Conservatorium Maastricht.

Maartje Meijer

Choir - Guest teacher

Maartje has studied Jazz Vocals and later on Jazz Piano at the Amsterdam Conservatory. In her masters degree she focused on arranging and took lessons from Jörg Achim Keller, chef conductor NDR Bigband. Her thesis was on counterpoint writing and polyphony in modern music.

Marjo Peute

Librarian

Jesse Passenier

Composing & Arranging / Master Coordinator / Master Research Coach / Fringe Orchestra / Wanted! Composition Lab

Jesse Passenier is a Dutch composer, unifying principles of jazz and classical in his work, exploring the peripheries of genres and the depth and possibilities of harmony. He is the winner of the Dutch Rogier van Otterloo Award 2017, acknowledging his success in bringing together musical genres in cross-overs, leading his own orchestra and celebrating his skill in orchestral writing. Three of his major projects were funded by the New Makers Regulation of the Performing Art Fund NL (FPK), which opened with the founding of his Fluid Orchestra and concluded with the launch of Fluid Festival. Passenier is co-founder of Fluid Foundation and encircling his activities as a composer he musically developed in a broader sense as arranger, conductor, drummer, pianist and vibraphonist.

Lea Lomans

The Education Team will align with main subject teachers, Heads of Department and other stakeholders where needed.

Bram de Vree

Coordinator Chamber Music, Master Research Coach

Concert pianist Bram de Vree regularly plays recitals in the Low Countries as well as around the globe. Especially as the pianist of the Mosa Trio he performs a lot. Bram made his solo debut at age thirteen with a piano concerto of Haydn. Since then he played with orchestras like the Orchestre de l'Opéra de Lyon, the Amman Symphony Orchestra, the Conservatory Orchestra Maastricht and the Maastricht University Orchestra. Bram played solo recitals in The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Greece. With the Mosa Trio he performed several times in the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Muziekgebouw Eindhoven and BOZAR (Brussels). Furthermore they gave concerts in France, the UK, Austria, Italy, Slovakia, China and Australia. The trio was a guest at numerous international music festivals like the Grachtenfestival, the Klara Festival and the International Holland Music Sessions and in 2017 they were ‘Ensemble en Résidence’ at the famous Festival International de Piano de La Roque d’Anthéron.

Ivan Meylemans

Wind Band Conducting

Belgian conductor Ivan Meylemans, is one of the most exciting and dynamic conductors to emerge in Europe recent years. Ivan is currently chief conductor of the Zeeland Orchestra in Middelburg (Netherlands).

Felix Havenith

Head of Programme Music in Education / Lecturer Education and Didactics / Internship Coördinator

Paolo Borsarelli

Classical Double Bass

Paolo Borsarelli (born 1964) graduated with top marks at the Conservatorio Statale di Musica 'Giuseppe Verdi' in Turin, where he studied with Enzo Ferraris. Right after obtaining his degree, he won first prize in the City of Genova competition. He subsequently studied with Ludwig Streicher at the Musikhochschule in Vienna, with a scholarship awarded by Italian music association De Sono.

Paul Frick

EMP (guest teacher)

Paul Frick teaches the Electronic Music Performance (EMP) students in Extended Production Techniques & Performing with laptop, loops and controllers.

Theo Wolters

Classical Trumpet / Methodology Trumpet

At a young age, Theo Wolters (born 1955) started playing the trumpet with the local wind band, of which his father was the conductor. He subsequently studied Trumpet at Conservatorium Maastricht and graduated with distinction. During his studies he was Principal Trumpet at the Overijssel Philharmonic Orchestra and the Essener Philharmonic Orchestra in Germany between 1975 and 1979. He was a member of the Amsterdam Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra from 1979 to 2008. While pursuing his orchestral career, he took conducting lessons with Pieter Stalmeier and Roberto Benzi.

Willy Bessems

Classical Horn / Methodology Horn

Jean Pierre Cnoops

Classical Saxophone

Saxophonist and conductor Jean-Pierre Cnoops (born 1969) has been a Saxophone teacher at Conservatorium Maastricht since 2011. Cnoops studied Saxophone at Conservatorium Maastricht and the ArtEZ School of Music in Enschede with Adri van Velsen and Arno Bornkamp respectively. He obtained his teaching qualification in 1992. He graduated as a performing musician in 1995 and was awarded the Dagblad Tubantia Prize for the best examination performance. In that same year, he also obtained the Vriendenkrans of the Royal Concertgebouw and the Concertgebouw Orchestra. During his studies, he took masterclasses with renowned saxophonists such as Daniel Deffayet and Claude Delangle.

Benny Wiame

Classical Trumpet

Benny Wiame (born 1962) teaches Trumpet at Conservatorium Maastricht. He also teaches at the Faculty of Music of University College Ghent and at the Luca School of Arts in Leuven. He studied at the Lemmens Institute in Leuven (Belgium) with Léon Petré and at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels with Jerôme de Brauwer.

Anita Cooke

English teacher

Raïssa Reintjens

Policy Support Employee

As a policy support officer, Raïssa Reintjens facilitates the Dean and management team at Conservatorium Maastricht in matters regarding policy, organisation and personnel. She also arranges (schedules) the work of the emergency response officers (bhv), facilities support officer, reception staff and caretakers. Students who want to make an appointment with the Director can contact Raïssa.  

Eva van Ooij

Lecturer Your Art as a Business

Eva Catharina van Ooij is passionate about discovering new ways and building bridges between people, cultures and disciplines. Be it as a dedicated musician, a lawyer, or as cultural entrepreneur. She felt the urge to do more than solely engaging with the public while being on stage with her cello. Hence, Eva consciously gathered knowledge, tools and professional experience in performing, pedagogy, presenting, legal reasoning, intercultural mediation, management and entrepreneurship. She holds a Master in both music and European Law and accomplished her studies in Maastricht, Amsterdam, Brussels, Freiburg and Basel. Next to her cultural activities, she is doing her PhD research at the Faculty of Law at Maastricht University regarding the subject of highly mobile professionals within the cultural industries.

Jeroen Riemsdijk

Classical Piano and piano accompaniment

Jeroen Riemsdijk (born 1962) is a concert pianist, chamber musician, teacher, researcher and writer. He regularly performs as soloist and with leading artists in prestigious concerts halls, at festivals and in the recording studio. Riemsdijk is the artistic director of Masters on Stage and previously of the Altembrouck series in Belgium. He has premiered and commissioned many new works.

Marc Schaeferdiek

Classical Oboe / Chamber Music

Marc Schaeferdiek (born 1967) studied Oboe with, among others, Prof. P. W. Feit, Prof. I. Goritzki and B. Holz. In his youth he received several awards at the national level of Jugend Musiziert as well as a cultural prize from the city of Aachen (Germany). Important moments in his musical career include solo concerts in Germany and abroad, performances with well-known orchestras such as the Gürzenich orchestra in Cologne and WDR Rundfunksinfonieorchester Cologne, as well as many appearances as a chamber musician.

Arno Tegelaers

Facilities employee

Will Sanders

Classical Horn

Will Sanders was born in the Netherlands. He comes from a musical family and received his first music lessons from his grandfather and father. He started his horn studies very early with Hubert Crüts at the Hogeschool Zuyd in Maastricht, where he later continued his studies with Prof. Erich Penzel.

Sander Ruijters

Practicum Popmusic / Lecturer History of pop / IP / Music and Technology / Lecturer Teaching skills / Member OC

Sander Ruijters (born 1984) is a lecturer in Pop Music Training, Institutional Teaching Practice, Pop Music History, music as a profession, basic teaching skills, coordinator Popweek and member of the education committe, in the Music in Education department of Conservatorium Maastricht. He also works for the Classical Music and Jazz departments as a lecturer in Music as a Profession and Basic Teaching Skills. Since 2015 he has been teaching CKV (Cultural and Artistic Appreciation) as part of the interfaculty collaboration between Conservatorium Maastricht and the Academy of Fine Arts and Design. Sander Ruijters also teaches music at Connect College in Echt.

Leon Lhoëst

Arranging / Composing for Film / World Music Composing / Theoretical Analysis

Leon Lhoëst (born 1955) has taught Theoretical Analysis and Aural Analysis at the Conservatorium Maastricht since 2005: since 2016 he also teaches Music Composition for Film. Lhoëst studied Piano and Arranging at Berklee College of Music in Boston (USA) with Herb Pomeroy, John Laporta, and Ken Pulling, among others. He holds a Master of Jazz Composition and Arranging from the Royal Conservatoire of Brussels - Belgium.

Joachim Schönecker

Jazz Guitar

As a leader or as sideman, guitarist Joachim Schönecker has worked with many reknown musicians like Patti Austin, Paquito D ́Rivera, Peter Erskine, Rich Perry, Bert Joris, Philippe Aerts, Jan Delay, Don Braden, John Riley, Jef Hamilton, "Toots" Thielemans, Dick Oatts, John Marshall, Michael Abene, Peter Weniger, Richie Beirach, the WDR Bigband and the WDR Sinfony Orchestra.

Wolfgang Braun

Jazz Composing / Arranging / Performing / CAP Modules: Writing for Big Band / Pop, Funk, Fusion / Vocals / "Find Your Own Music" coaching

Wolfgang Braun (born 1967) has studied a vast array of music genres. He holds a degree in Jazz Composition, Arrangement and Piano from the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln, where he was taught by Peter Herbolzheimer, Jerry van Rooyen, Joachim Ullrich, Francis Coppieters and Frank Chastenier. He has also participated in masterclasses by Bob Brookmeyer, Sergiu Celibidache, Bill Dobbins, Clare Fisher, Jim McNeely, Vince Mendoza, Wolfgang Mitterer, Matthias Rüegg, John Taylor and others.

Norbert Kögging

Your Art as a Business

Besides being the YAB-lecturer at the conservatorium, Norbert is managing director at Jazz Maastricht. Next to these two main activities, he is course leader and vocal coach at ‘Classical meets Jazz’ (singing courses in Europe and a programmer for the bi-annual festival Jazz te Gast. This year Norbert is a jury member of the showcase panel for the Dutch inJazz Festival in Rotterdam.

Renée Joosten

Coordinator Junior Conservatorium Maastricht / Lecturer Education and Didactics / Internschip coach

Renée Joosten (1980) obtained her diploma for first degree teacher of music at the Conservatory in Maastricht in 2002. She also studied bachelor pedagogy in the field of educational science at Hogeschool Fontys in Sittard.

Claudia Schuwirth

Communications & Marketing

John Goldsby

Jazz Double Bass / Band Coaching

Since 1994, John Goldsby has been a member of the Westdeutscher Rundfunk Big Band (also known as the WDR Big Band or the Cologne Radio Big Band). From 1980 to 1994, Goldsby lived in New York City and was a fixture on the jazz scene there. He continues to contribute to the art form as a bassist, bandleader, composer, teacher, clinician and author. Goldsby is an inquisitive scholar, constantly studying, documenting, and codifying jazz bass styles, techniques and players. He seeks to understand the aesthetic foundations and structural development of jazz bass playing in order to define the state of the art. Goldsby heartily endorses trumpeter Clarke Terry’s educational maxim: “Imitate, emulate, innovate.”

Mare de Groot

Dean Performing Arts

Leon Hacquier

Roeland Hendrikx

Classical Clarinet

Roeland Hendrikx is one of the leading Belgian clarinet players of the present day. After training in Leuven and Antwerp with Walter Boeykens, he perfected himself in masterclasses taught by Thea King and other eminent clarinettists. Hendrikx was principal clarinet with the National Orchestra of Belgium for many years, but in 2017, he embarked on a solo career. He nevertheless remains a zealous advocate of chamber music – which he plays with his own Roeland Hendrikx Ensemble – and a passionate teacher at the Conservatorium Maastricht and the LUCA School of Arts (Lemmens Institute) in Leuven.

Anouk Habets

Movement

Anouk is responsible for movement lessons at the classical department Conservatorium Maastricht. Next to this Anouk has her own Dance studio "Beleef Dans" (www.beleefdans.nl) and organizes performances and workshops dance expression.    

Valerie Debaele

Flute performance

Valerie is since 2006 principal flutist at the ‘Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège’. (Belgium)  She obtained her « Masters degree » and « Pedagogical diploma » with greatest distinction at the ‘Royal Conservatory of music’ in Antwerp (class G.Van Riet) and her « Artist Diploma » in flute performance with greatest distinction at the ‘Carnegie Mellon University’ in Pittsburgh. (USA, class J. Baxtresser and A.Almarza)  She is a laureate of several international competitions including the ‘Pittsburgh Concert Society’ and the ‘Myrna W. Brown’ International Flute Competition in Dallas. (USA)

Arjen van Prooijen

Lecturer Music and History of Arts

Art history lecturer Arjen van Prooijen has many years' experience in secondary education, teaching art and cultural history, cultural and artistic appreciation (CKV) and general art. Apart from the Music in Education department (MiE) at Conservatorium Maastricht, he also works for the Maastricht Fine Art and Design in Education programme (FADE). 

Yvonne Schiffelers

Classical Singing / Opera

After completing her vocal studies at Conservatorium Maastricht, Dutch mezzo-soprano Yvonne Schiffelers was immediately engaged as a member of the Opera Studio in Cologne. After these two years she began her illustrious career at the National Theater in Mannheim (Germany). Here she extended her repertoire to around 50 roles, including Dorabella (Cosi fan Tutte), Octavian (Der Rosenkavalier), Composer (Ariadne auf Naxos), Charlotte (Werther), Waltraute, Fricka. She also worked as a freelance singer and guested in several opera houses in Germany and Europe such as: Hamburg, Berlin, Amsterdam, Munich, Antwerp, Brussels, Liege, Basel and Helsinki. Among the countless conductors and directors with whom she has worked are Edo de Waart (Amsterdam), Hans Vonk (Amsterdam), Adam Fisher (Hannover, Mannheim), Bertrand de Billy (Antwerp), Jun Märkl (Munich, Berlin, Mannheim), Hartmuth Haenchen (Amsterdam), Harry Kupfer (Cologne), Christine Mielitz (Mannheim, Berlin), Willy Decker (Amsterdam), Claus Guth (Mannheim), Andreas Homoki (Leipzig).

Maureen Poell

(Ortho) Pedagogics

Maureen lectures in (Ortho) Pedagogics at the bachelor Music in Education. For her, music and pedagogy is a golden combination. As a kid she grew up in a musical family and learned how to play the piano and clarinet. In the past years she switched to saxophone and plays in a classical orchestra in Brabant. When she was 17 she had to choose between two bachelors: conservatorium and pedagogy and chose both: the bachelor Pedagogy and a minor – specialization process – in music. After that she started the Master Ecological Pedagogy and did a practical scientific research to the meaning and experience of music for pedagogues, from a phenomenological perspective. She experienced how important it is to speak other languages than only a spoken language: children can speak over 100 different languages, like the language of music.

Joep van Leeuwen

Jazz Guitar / Critical Listening / Band Coaching / Jazzical Ensemble / Jazz History Lectures HOVO

Since 1985, Joep van Leeuwen (born 1955) has taught Jazz Guitar, Combo (crossover jazz-classical ensembles) and Jazz History at Conservatorium Maastricht, where he studied Classical Guitar himself. After studying Classical Guitar at Conservatorium Maastricht, he studied Jazz Guitar at the Swiss Jazz School in Bern. He has given workshops for festivals in Maastricht, Boston (USA), and Montreux (Switzerland).

Sigrid Paans

Head of Programme Jazz

Sigrid Paans has been the Head of the Jazz programme at Conservatorium Maastricht since September 2015. In 2014, she held this position for a year as an interim manager. Before coming to Maastricht, she was a coordinator/project leader in the Jazz department of the Conservatorium van Amsterdam for nine years.

Hans Leenders

Classical organ / Choral Conducting

Hans Leenders is artistic director of the professional chamber choir Studium Chorale and vocal ensemble Cantatrix Friesland. He is conductor as well of the Basilica choir, Basilica Consort and Schola Cantorum of the Basilica of Our Lady in Maastricht and of the vocal ensemble Pro Arte from Eupen Belgium.

Bart Verhagen

Lecturer Teaching Skills and Performance

Bart Verhagen (1983) studeerde Docent Muziek en Klassieke Zang aan het Conservatorium van Maastricht 

Ralph van Daal

Classical oboe

Ralph van Daal (born 1984) began playing the oboe at the age of nine. At 17, he began his studies at Conservatorium Maastricht with Peter Steyvers (Oboe) and Mya Besselink (Vocal Studies), graduating with Honours in 2006. He then started three years of study with Francois Leleux at the University for Music and Theatre in Munich, earning a Soloist Diploma in 2009. Following graduation, Ralph van Daal held temporary contracts with the WDR Symphony Orchestra in Cologne and the Duisburg Philharmonic. In 2011, he won the position of Solo English Horn with the Hamburg Philharmonic and was awarded the Eduard Söring-Preis; a prize awarded by the orchestra’s director, Simone Young, to support the artistic development of young musicians.

Arjan Tien

Symphony Orchestra Conducting

Arjan Tien, winner of the first prize “Rotary-Faller” at the competition of the International Conducting Master Class in La Chaux-de-Fonds – Switzerland 1997, performs in Europe, Asia, South America and Africa, and works with internationally established orchestras such as the WDR Funkhausorchester, the Philharmonie Südwestfalen, the Royal Bangkok Symphony, the Radio Philharmonic, the Netherlands Symphony, the Arnhem Philharmonic, the North Netherlands Symphony, the South Netherlands Philharmonic, the Metropole orchestra and the Residentie Orchestra; the Bilkent Symphony and Antalya Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre Symphonique Bienne, the Belgrade Philharmonic, the KwaZulu Natal Philharmonic, Johannesburg Philharmonic, Cape Town Philharmonic and the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa.

Federico Santi

Playing from score and Instrumentation

Born in Turin, where he has studied composition, orchestra conducting, piano and chamber music, Federico Santi is a musician to wide spectrum today, with a notable repertoire to his asset.

Ruud Faut

Facility Coordinator

Albrecht Holder

Classical Bassoon

Igo Lange

Applied piano

Igo Lange (born 1956) is a lecturer in Piano and a rehearsal pianist at Conservatorium Maastricht, where he himself studied Chamber Music in the 1980s. Lange is a juror for the Jong Talenten (young talent) class at Academie Genk and chairs the jury for examinations of the European Piano Teachers Association. He regularly gives intimate concerts, and in 2006 he toured Prague with a male voice choir.

Jean Monseweije

Ludo Claesen

Classical Choir Conducting

Composer and conductor Ludo Claesen (born 1956) teaches Choral Conducting and Choral Singing at Conservatorium Maastricht. At the Lemmens Institute in Leuven (Belgium) he teaches Polyphony and Orchestral Performance. He has taught at various music schools in Belgian Limburg for many years. He studied Percussion, Composing, and Choral and Orchestral Conducting at the Lemmens Institute and at the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp.

Markus Wienstroer

Jazz / Pop Guitar

Markus Wienstroer (born June 24, 1959 in Dusseldorf) is a German musician, who is active in the field of rock and pop as well as jazz as a studio and live musician. He works mainly as a guitarist.

Wim Vluggen

Wim Vluggen

Wim Vluggen (born 1959) teaches Choir Training & Conducting and Teaching Methodology in the Music in Education department. He specialises in Gregorian chant and music pedagogy. 

Mette Laugs

Head of programme classical 1

Luke Mitchell

Project Leader Jazz, Opera, Classical Backstage & Booking Agency Classical

The direct connection between the students and the general public, Luke runs the booking agency for the classical department. The agency was set up in order to provide people with an official means of hiring the students for external events, therefore giving the students an opportunity to gain performance experience and earn next to their studies.

Nicole Lemmens

International Office

Marc Rutten

Teamleader Education & Quality Management

As an educationalist, Marc Rutten (born 1963) is responsible for the internal educational processes at Conservatorium Maastricht. In addition to ensuring educational quality, Marc is a team leader within the Arts Faculty and head of Academic Affairs, which arranges the formal conditions for good professional art education. He is frequently involved in educational quality review visits for the Dutch or Flemish authorities. Originally, Marc is a pop musician, performing as a guitarist and singer in various ensembles and projects. He has been highly influential in regional and provincial initiatives to support the pop music and education sector.  

Frank Wienk

Main Subject Electronic Music Performance (EMP)

Dutch producer, multi-instrumentalist and composer BINKBEATS – real name Frank Wienk – has a consummate knack for translating organic sounds to the synthesis of electronic music. Wienk’s singular talents amassed both global renown and a passionate following with his Beats Unraveled video-series. Over the course of the decade, he developed his mastery of sound into a rapidly expanding vocabulary, churning out compositions that transcend the realms of IDM, jazz, hip-hop, classical, ambient pop, minimalism, and techno.

Lage Lund

Jazz Guitar / Guest Teacher

Lage Lund is acclaimed as one of the finest guitarists of his generation, and one of the more compelling jazz artists today. A regular in the “Rising star – Guitar” category in the Downbeat Critic’s Poll, he has been hailed by Pat Metheny as a favorite young guitarist, and is “all music and all soul” according to Russell Malone - one of the judges who awarded Lund top prize in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition.

Reiner Witzel

Jazz Saxophone / Big Band Sax section

Reiner Witzel , born 1967, studied saxophone at the "Musikhochschule Köln" and the "Manhattan School of Music" in New York with Bob Mintzer , David Liebman , John Purcell , Bill Evans , Dick Oatts and others .

Kyoko Yonemoto

Classical Violin

Kyoko Yonemoto (born 1984) is widely considered to be one of the most promising young violinists of today. A laureate in some of the world's finest violin competitions, Kyoko Yonemoto was the youngest prize winner ever at the Paganini competition in Italy in 1997, receiving a special prize from the jury, the Enrico Costa Memorial Prize. She has also won prizes in the Long-Thibaud competition, Queen Elisabeth competition, Fritz Kreisler competition and Montreal competition. She won first prize in the national competition in Japan in 2001, and the Paganini competition in Moscow in November 2006.

Abigail Richards

Piano Accompaniment Classical Singing Department

British pianist Abigail Richards (1979) is a specialist in vocal repertoire, having worked extensively both as a repetiteur in opera houses and as an accompanist. She gives song recitals frequently both in The Netherlands and abroad, in venues such as Concertgebouw Amsterdam (Grote and Kleine Zaal), Carré, De Toonzaal and Festival des Arts Lyriques in Aix en Provence, plus appearances on television and radio. She was a prizewinner at the Concertgebouw/Debuut competition and International Vocal Competition. She has participated in or accompanied many masterclasses with singers and pianists including Thomas Hampson, Thomas Quasthoff and Irwin Gage (all at Concertgebouw), Julius Drake, Rudolf Jansen, Wlofgang Holzmair, Wolfram Rieger and Christa Ludwig amongst others.

Jan Cober

Windband and brassband conducting

Jan Cober (born 1951) is a lecturer in Clarinet and Wind/Brass Band Conducting and a research coach at Conservatorium Maastricht. He also teaches at the Brabants Conservatorium in Tilburg and at various Conducting degree programmes in the Netherlands and abroad.

Greg Torunski

Band Coaching / Jazz Saxophone, Junior Jazz / Applied theory combo

Greg Torunski, has been already noticed with the huge success on the dutch/german/american music scene last years. He graduated from Conservatorium Maastricht and Hochschule fur Musik in Koln with the highest grade. Afterwards he finished his Master studies in New York, working together with Mr. David Binney.

Jo Didderen

Jazz Basic and Advanced Teaching Skills - (Double) Bass

Bassist Jo Didderen is first known for his work with the Mijke Loeven Band and Sprinkhuizen, Fennis & Didderen. He played with, among others: Erik Vloeimans, Dick de Graaf, John Ruocco, Toon Roos, Dizzy Gillespie, Pat Metheny, Ernst Reijseger, Oene van Geel, Mike Roelofs, Louis van Dijk, Bert van den Brink, Ack van Rooyen, Eef Albers, Charlie Green, Monsieur Dubois, Mo'Jones, Jimmy Kelly, Richard Bargel and others.

Alejandro Serena Llinares

Young Talent Class / Piano methodology / Applied piano

Frederik Tings

Music Production / Live Sound & Effects / Electronic Music Performance / Producing your own music

Frederik Tings is a musician, producer & composer from Germany, currently residing in the Netherlands. 

Pascal Nypels

Librarian

Alexander Chaushian

Classical Cello

Internationally acclaimed Armenian cellist Alexander Chaushian performs regularly at venues such as the Wigmore Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, Konzerthaus Vienna, Suntory Hall Japan, as well as Carnegie Hall in New York, and Symphony Hall in Boston.

Jan Gooren

Vocals / Lecturer Cultural and Artistic Education

De tenor Jan Gooren (1957) is sinds 2005 verbonden aan het Conservatorium Maastricht. Sinds 2005 doceert hij zang bij de opleiding Docent Muziek en is tevens (interfacultair) docent Culturele en Kunstzinnige Vorming en Kunst Algemeen. Van september 2011 t/m augustus 2014 was hij onderzoek coach van de masteropleiding Muziek en binnen Zuyd Hogeschool verbonden aan het Lectoraat Toerisme en Cultuur.

Leentje Clijsters

Asimut, student affairs office & Study coach

Raymond Curfs

Classical percussion

Born in the Netherlands, Raymond Curfs studied Percussion and Timpani in Maastricht, Cologne and Berlin with teachers such as Werner Otten, Pieter Jansen, Georg Breier and Rainer Seegers.After engagements as a timpanist in the Noord-Nederlands Orkest in Groningen, Stadttheater Bielefeld/Germany and the Rundfunk Sinfonie Orchester Berlin, he became principal timpanist at the Bavarian State Opera and Bavarian State Orchestra in Munich in 1999, under musical directors Zubin Mehta and Kent Nagano. Since September 2007, Raymond Curfs is principal timpanist of the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks in Munich with Mariss Jansons as music director.

Carlo Nardozza

Jazz Trumpet / Band Coaching / Big Band Trumpet section / Big Band

Carlo Nardozza studied music in Maastricht with Rob Bruynen, Claudius Valk and Bert Joris, and graduated cum laude.During his study , he founded his own quintet “Carlo Nardozza Quintet” and started to write his own music for this band mostly based on world music.

Masumi Nagasawa

Classical Harp

Masumi Nagasawa is an experienced and accomplished internationally known harpist. She was born in Tokyo, Japan but spent much of her childhood and early education in the Netherlands. She is a world expert on 18th and 19th-century harp practice, and gives lectures and master classes in conservatories and universities all over the world. She has PhD degree from the University of Leeds, England for research on the single-action pedal harp performing practices. Currently she teaches both double and single-action pedal harp at the Conservatorium Maastricht, the Netherlands. Masumi studied harp with Phia Berghout at Conservatorium Maastricht, receiving her orchestral and solo diploma with cum laude. She was also awarded Prix d’Excellence in the Netherlands and the Muramatsu Music Prize Grand Prix in Japan. Since then she has been invited to many International Festivals, such as the Kuhmo International Chamber Music Festival, the Salzburg Music Festival, the Geneva Music Festival, the Ittinger Pfingstkonzerte and the Torino Milano Festival Internazionale della Musica. On the single-action pedal harp, Masumi has performed with the Academy of Ancient Music, the Freiburger Baroque Orchestra, the Balthasar-Neuman Ensemble, the Kammerorchester Basel, the Orchestra La Scintilla and the Netherlands Bach Society. She has also been invited as a jury member for numerous International Harp competitions, including the Concours de harpe Lily Laskine in Paris. Alongside her concert appearances, she composes and arranges music for the harp that has been published and recorded as well. Masumi is a very versatile harpist and has made many well received CD recordings, released on such labels as Toshiba EMI Japan, Etcetera, Channel Classics, Globe, Ars and recently BIS.

Elisabeth Dumont

Thesis supervisor

Elisabeth Dumont (1980) is promovenda aan de Universiteit Maastricht en doet onderzoek naar de relatie tussen Orthopedagogische muziekbeoefening en de ontwikkeling van de executieve functies bij kinderen in het speciaal en regulier basisonderwijs in de leeftijd van 6 tot 9 jaar.

Yuzoko Horigome

Classical Violin

First prize winner in the 1980 Queen Elisabeth Music Competition YuzukoHorigome (born 1957) has brought her virtuosity and rich musical mind to audiences all over the world. Her brilliant collaborators include such legendary conductors as Erich Leinsdorf, Sándor Végh, Herbert Blomstedt, André Prévin, Claudio Abbado, Seiji Ozawa, Iván Fischer, Riccardo Chailly, and Simon Rattle.

Roger Smeets

Classical regie / Drama coaching opera

Dutch baritone Roger Smeets (born 1960) studied at Conservatorium Maastricht, where he now teaches Directing and Drama in the Classical Music department. In 1989 he won the Dutch Music Prize at the International Vocal Competition in ’s-Hertogenbosch. He worked for the opera studio (then Young Talent Section) of the Dutch National Opera Foundation in Amsterdam from 1983 to 1986. Since then, he has regularly performed with DNO (now Dutch National Opera & Ballet) in productions including Parsifal, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Un ballo in Maschera, La Traviata, Rigoletto, De Neus, Pique Dame, Capriccio, Tristan und Isolde, Salome, Dialogues des Carmélites, Madama Butterfly, Die Gezeichneten, Kát’a Kabanová, Die Frau ohne Schatten, La Fanciulla del West, Turandot, Les Vêpres Siciliennes, Billy Budd, Jevgeni Onjegin, De Speler Arabella, Lulu, and the world premieres of Gassir, the Hero (Theo Loevendie), Rosa, a horse drama (Louis Andriessen), HIER° (Guus Janssen) and Adam in Ballingschap (Rob Zuidam).

Anastasia Goldberg

Piano accompaniment

Pianist Anastasia Goldberg received her first piano lessons at the age of 5 from Irina Renova.

Inge Pasmans

Music Theory (Classical) / Lecturer Music Theory / Research Coach (Music in Education)

As well as being a main subject lecturer in Music Theory at Conservatorium Maastricht, decorated pianist Inge Pasmans (born 1980) teaches general theory subjects in the Music in Education department and the Classical Music department (Bachelor's programme). She is currently a member of the Teachers’ Council and project leader of Music in the Making, an innovative and creative project in the Classical Music department. As a pianist, she performs with various chamber music ensembles, wind bands, and choirs. She has also worked from 2008 till 2016 as a research coach in the Master's programme in Classical Music.

Carol Rutten

Communication & Marketing

Mike Roelofs

Jazz Piano at Junior Jazz Department

Mike Roelofs is a versatile musician, entangled in the continuous exploration of his musical self. Instead of pigeonholing, he rather embraces the unknown and is eager to explore unconventional ways of playing to tell his story.

Frank Giebels

Jazz Piano / Applied Piano Jazz

“My greatest teachers were honest, critical and not afraid to make choices. That is exactly what our students need. A teacher who adds something, who is honest and open to new ideas. That is my style. I also enjoy creating new music. Combining styles, exploring boundaries, while showing respect for the jazz classics. It is a privilige to work with talent. I cherish talent, of course, but I prefer to continue to develop it.”

Anastasia Safonova

Pianist / Chamber Music / School Participation Council

Anastasia Safonova began her professional career at the age of 12 with a successful performance of Mendelssohn’s piano concerto with the Moscow Junior Symphony Orchestra. She graduated cum laude from the Gnessins Institute Moscow and continued her studies on the Master’s programme at the Royal Conservatoire of the Hague with Naum Grubert.

Peter Rijkx

Classical flute / Piccolo

Erwin Deleux

Pianist / School Participation Council

Pianist Erwin Deleux (born 1973) studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp and at the Lemmens Institute in Leuven (Belgium). As a student of Alan Weiss, he obtained a Master's degree in Piano and Chamber Music. Deleux has won prizes at various international competitions, including Cantabile, the European Piano Teachers Association Competition, the International Price Durlet and the Stefaan de Jonghe competition.

Ioulia Dinerchtein Matioukova

Classical viola

Julia Dinerstein was born in Minsk, where she began her music studies. After initially studying Violin at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow with Elizabetha Gilels and Andrei Korsakov, she proceeded to study Viola with Michael Kugel at Conservatorium Maastricht, where she gained her Soloist Master’s degree with distinction.

Sabine Kühlich

Jazz Vocals / Vocal Skills / Methodology / Master Research Coach

'I love teaching, I love developing each student's individual strong points and finding out about their artistic insights. It is a daily challenge to help them with all the technical possibilities but also open their minds to the unique art. I love the Estill Voice Training System and often refer to the link between the special quality of sound produced by trainable physiological structures. Playing the piano while a student sings enhances the process of making music in each lesson, and that is what I aim for.'

levon Harutiunyan

Advanced teaching skills / Methodics Piano (jazz) / Piano (Music in Education)

Levon Leonard (1978), who has a degree in Piano and Composition, teaches Piano Methodology to years 3 and 4 of the Music in Education department of Conservatorium. He graduated Conservatorium Maastricht in Piano and Composition in 2002. In addition to his work at Conservatorium Maastricht, he is already for years active as a performer, musical and choir director in a several organizations and ensembles in the Netherlands and abroad. He regularly gives workshops in improvisation, performance and composition for soloists and choirs varied from light to classical music and is active as a performer at many different venues.  

Peter Bernstein

Jazz Guitar / Guest Teacher

As a teacher, Peter Bernstein has been widely involved in New York City and with regular workshops worldwide. We are honored to invite him as our regular guest teacher for our guitar department every semester.

Sebastiaan Philipsen

Facilities employee

Jos Limpens

Facilities employee

Madeleine Stevens

Librarian

Rob Bruynen

Jazz Trumpet (& Lead Trumpet)

Rob Bruynen (born 1961) has played with countless world-renowned musicians, including Quincy Jones, The Brecker Brothers, Maceo Parker, Phil Collins, Ray Brown, Joe Lovano, Joe Zawinul, Carmen Mcrae, Roy Hargrove, George Duke, Al Jarreau, Kenny Wheeler, Chaka Khan, Erik Truffaz, McCoy Tyner and others.

Vivian Knols

Lecturer Education and Didactics, Methodology and Internship coördinator

Vivian Knols (1973) is sinds 2012 verbonden aan het Conservatorium Maastricht. Ze doceert vakdidactiek en is stage- en studieloopbaanbegeleider. Ze studeerde schoolmuziek en orthopedagogische muziekbeoefening aan het Conservatorium Maastricht, waar ze in 1997 haar diploma haalde. In datzelfde jaar startte ze als muziekdocent aan de Fontys Pabo in Tilburg. Het werken aan de pabo combineerde ze met het werken als vakleerkracht op verschillende basisscholen in Maastricht en in Tilburg.

Axel Everaert

Classical solo singing / Opera

The musical education of Axel Steven Everaert began at the National Opera House in Brussels. During his years at the University of Louvain, he focused on singing and chamber music, graduating in 1987 with a Bachelor’s degree in Musicology. From 1987 to 1990, Everaert continued to study Voice in Rome under Maestra Gianella Borelli and Loredana Franceschini-Shenker. He underwent further voice training with Ré Koster, Sylvia Geszty and Ileana Cotrubas from 1990 to 1995, with additional coaching from Irwin Gage in Zurich.

Wiek Maessen

ear training and prima vista

Roos Smeets

Facilities employee

Frans Kokkelmans

Classical Solo Singing

The lyric baritone Frans Kokkelmans teaches Solo Singing and Chamber Music in the Classical Music department of Conservatorium Maastricht. He also is a member of the Master examination-committee, the Test committee and the Education committee.

Katinka Poismans

Research Coach

Kathinka Poismans works as a lecturer and research coach for master and bachelor programmes in music and for music therapy at Conservatorium Maastricht and Codarts, Rotterdam. She holds a PhD in Music Therapy from Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität of Münster, Germnay and has worked for more than 20 years as a senior music therapist and even longer as a musician. She’s frequently invited by foreign universities and institutions to give workshops, lectures, and training courses.   Kathinka studied both classical piano and music therapy. Currently, she studies jazz piano at Conservatorium Maastricht.  

David Lodewyckx

Classical Music Theory

David Lodewyckx (1978) is a lecturer of Music Theory and Music History at Conservatorium Maastricht. He obtained Master degrees in Harmony and Counterpoint Studies at the Lemmens Institute (2003) and Musicology at the KU University (2007), both in Leuven, Belgium. In addition, he completed the Ergänzungsstudium Musiktheorie at the Schola Cantorum in Basel, Switzerland (2014).