Rotterdam Philharmonic Bass Trombone Retires After 23 Years
After 23 years with the Rotterdam Philharmonic plus an additional 23 years with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, legendary bass trombonist Ben Van Dijk has retired from a distinguished orchestral career.
At a young age, Ben Van Dijk began trombone lessons with his father Piet Van Dijk, a trombonist with The Hague Philharmonic. In 1976, Van Dijk was appointed to the bass trombone position with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, a position that he would hold until winning the bass trombone position with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra.
Throughout his career with the Rotterdam Philharmonic, Van Dijk has performed extensively under some of the great modern conductors, such as Valery Gergiev, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Sir Simon Rattle, Lahav Shani, and countless others. In addition to performing, Van Dijk has taught at the Conservatory of Amsterdam and the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague for a number of years, where many of his students have had wonderful success in auditions and competitions. He will continue to teach in The Hague after this orchestral retirement.
Throughout the world, Van Dijk has been recognized for his contributions to the trombone by serving as President of the International Trombone Association (2017-2020), receiving the ITA Award in 2003, and receiving the ITA’s Neill Humfeld Award for Excellence in Trombone Teaching in 2017.
On top of his performance and teaching, Van Dijk has released six solo albums (Nana, First Song, Melody, Never Alone, World Concerto, and Brisas Andaluzas) that have received critical acclaim and are a valuable listen for any musician. His YouTube channel, which has accumulated over 9,000 subscribers, contains a vast collection of excerpts, solos, and multi-tracking videos that collaborate with musicians from around the world.
To round out his esteemed resume, Ben Van Dijk has played exclusively on Thein Brass instruments for the last 30 years. The craftmanship behind both his bass trombone and contrabass trombone – his daily tools – have cemented the sound of Ben Van Dijk into the ears of many musicians and music listeners for generations to come.
Click here to learn more about Ben Van Dijk.
Editor’s Update on November 27, 2021, 7:11 AM: The original article left out the distinction of Ben Van Dijk also teaching at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. We apologize for this mistake and have added the information to the article. – Jeremy
