Jasper de Waal has occupied the position of first horn with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra since 2004. He won several regional music competitions for young musicians in 1983 and 1984. Jasper de Waal graduated from the Brabant Conservatory, Tilburg, in 1988, where his principal teacher was Herman Jeurissen. He then received a diploma in performance from the Royal Conservatory of the Hague in 1990, where he studied with Vincent Zarzo. He played first horn for the Residentie Orchestra of the Hague from 1990 through 2004. Jasper de Waal has given solo concerts, recitals, and master classes all over the world. He is a member of the visiting faculty of the Fontys Academy of Tilburg. Jasper can be heard as a soloist on dozens of recordings of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. His other recordings include the horn trios of Johannes Brahms and Gregson’s horn concerto.
The Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1987. Its members come from the ranks of the world famous Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Prior to 1987, the Orchestra was known as the Amsterdam Chamber Orchestra. During this period, from 1957 to 1987, the Amsterdam Chamber Orchestra made numerous recordings with conductors, such as Andre Rieu, Anton van de Horst, and Marinus Voorberg.
The Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra has performed at several important occasions, including the 1980 inauguration of Queen Beatrix, Queen of the Netherlands and during the State visit of the American President, George Bush Sr. to the Netherlands in 1989. The orchestra was also invited to perform during the ceremony of the royal wedding of the Dutch Crown Prince, William Alexander to Princess Maxima Zorreguieta, on February 2, 2002, in the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam. As a result of this performance, the CD, “Music from the Royal Wedding” was made. It sold more than 75,000 copies and received the unique “triple platinum” award.
Due to the great international interest in the Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra, the group has been invited to perform on several international podiums. Tours have included, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Germany, Finland, Portugal, Japan, and India.
The Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra has performed with worldrenowned soloists, including Maria Joao Pires, Friedrich Gulda, Elane Rodrigues, Lynn Harrel, Jaap van Zweden, Marietta Petkova, Vesko Eschkenazy, Ronald Brautigum, Emily Beynon, Janine Jansen, Mischa Maisky, and Shlomo Mintz.
Besides his work as the principal trombonist of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Jörgen van Rijen has become a frequently requested soloist with a special commitment to promote his instrument, develop new repertoire for the trombone and bring the existing repertoire to a broader audience. He has performed as a soloist in most European countries, as well as the United States, Canada, Japan, China, Korea, Russia, Singapore and Australia and has appeared as a soloist with various orchestras, including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2004 he was awarded the Netherlands Music Prize, the highest distinction in the field of music from the Dutch Ministry of Culture. In 2006 he received the prestigious Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award, which is yearly presented to a selection of the most promising and talented young international soloists and ensembles.