Percussion Department:
The principal study teachers in percussion are Hans Zonderop, Theun van Nieuwburg, Pepe García and Niels Meliefste. As well as the principal study lessons students are also trained in performing with an accompanist, chamber music, orchestral projects, historical development, second study piano, orchestral part studies and applied studies. Guest teachers are regularly invited
to give a masterclass, workshop or interpretation course. Teachers:
Hans Zonderop:
Hans Zonderop studied in Utrecht with Michael de Roo, Peter Ypma, Jeroen Goldsteen, Keiko Abe and others, and obtained his UM diploma in 1989. Hans Zonderop is 1st percussionist with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. Both during and after his studies he played in various orchestras and ensembles like the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, The Mahler Chamber Orchestra and The Bavaria Radio Symphony Orchestra, and was also a percussionist with Circle Percussion. In this ensemble he specialised in the playing of Japanese drums. He toured the world with Circle Percussion, together with the Netherlands Dance Theatre, Keiko Abe and the Japanese percussion group KODO. Hans is currently, along with his work with the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest, teacher at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague and is percussionist in the Lucerne Festival Orkest. He worked in Lucerne with Claudio Abbado, Bernard Haitink, Ricardo Chailly and many other world famous conductors. Hans gave masterclasses in Munich, Antwerpen, Tongeren and Amsterdam. Theun van Nieuwburg:
Theun van Nieuwburg began his musical development as timpanist with the North Holland Youth Orchestra. He studied percussion and timpani to the Utrecht University of the Arts with Hans Zonderop, Johan Faber and Werner Otten. He attended various masterclasses with Rainer Seegers, Marinus Komst and Nick Woud. In 2002 he was timpanist and percussionist with the Schleswig Holstein Music Festival. In 2005 he graduated with a Master of Music. Theun is principal timpanist of The Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, he played percussion with the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, with which he has made many European and world tours He was percussionist with the Japanese taiko group Circle Percussion and samba group Absurdo. At the Freiburger Barockorchester he learned how to play on authentic timpani. As timpanist, he worked at Holland Symfonia, the Dutch Symphony Orchestra, the Gelders Orchestra, the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. The highlight was playing the whole Wagner's Ring at the Dutch Opera. From 2014, he was accepted as a timpanist with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra. Pepe García:
Pepe is versatile Mexican percussionist living in the Netherlands.He completed bachelors and master’s degree at Koninklijk Conservatorium (The Netherlands) with top honors.Admired for his outstanding musicianship, extraordinary sensitivity, virtuosity and musical integrity, Pepe has performed in the concert halls of Belgium, Malta, USA, Taiwan, Luxembourg, Spain, Slovenia, Croatia, Mexico, Serbia, Poland, Sweden, Germany, France, England, Austria, Italy, Egypt, Korea, Hong Kong and all around The Netherlands. He was awarded with Ear Massage percussion quartet in the IPCL (International Percussion Convention Luxembourg) and the International Gaudeamus Competition for contemporary music in Amsterdam. Current member of the famous Percussion group The Hague (Slagwerk DenHaag) and Ear Massage percussion quartet. One of the major interests in his career has been the collaboration with composers and artists in general, developing alternative methods of approaching new music through the aid of unconventional methods of musical notation, designing new instruments, fusing technical resources from non western cultures and extending the possibilities of traditional percussion instruments through electronic processes. Niels Meliefste:
Niels Meliefste(1979, Nederland) studeerde klassiek slagwerk aan het Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag bij Wim Vos en Luuk Nagtegaal, en Afrikaans slagwerk bij Aly n’Diaye Rose. In 2000 won hij de tweede prijs, de publieks- én de scholierenprijs van het TROMP-concours, in 2003 de Juryprijs op het Grachtenfestival Conservatorium Concours en in 2005 (met Claire Edwardes als Duo Vertigo) de derde prijs in het Internationaal Gaudeamus Vertolkers Concours. Niels is vast lid van Anumadutchi, en sinds 2006 van Slagwerk Den Haag. Verder speelde hij onder meer bij Asko|Schönberg Ensemble, Radio Kamerorkest, Ensemble Modern (Frankfurt) en Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie (Bremen). Met celliste Annie Tangberg richtte hij Duo Percucello op.
