As a child, I was… always busy with music. If I heard a song on the radio, I wanted to play it on the piano. Music was, and still is, my greatest passion. My parents encouraged it, but they weren’t keen on me going to music school. My mother said, “If it’s your passion, go for it”, but my father saw music as a wonderful hobby and wanted me to learn a “trade”. I owe a lot to the then-director of the conservatoire, who really wanted me as a student and spoke to my parents. His enthusiasm tipped the scales in my favour. I later joined the National and European Youth Orchestras, which my parents loved. Once my father realised that I was going to make it as a professional musician, it was no longer an issue.
"In his final hours, I shared a beer with my father. “It’s all right”, he said, “I’ve had a good life.” I hope that when the time comes, I can say the same"
Conducting or making music? They say you can’t have one foot on the conductor’s podium and one foot in the orchestra, but I think conducting is still making music. After all, you’re imposing a specific interpretation of a piece on the orchestra. I now spend half my time as a percussionist and the other half teaching and conducting. I’ve always had a passion for conducting, have always been a bit of a leader – not that I was bossy, but I like it when someone in a group takes charge. And if no one else does, I will.
If I wasn’t a musician, I’d be… a mechanical engineer. I’m a science guy; I loved subjects like physics and chemistry in school. I found them easy to understand and didn’t have to put a lot of work into them, which gave me time to focus on making music. I probably would’ve gone into instrument making. There’s a large instrument factory here in Limburg that I visit now and then; it’s wonderful to see the thinking they put into making the instruments. But honestly, I couldn’t imagine a life without music. I’m glad I’ve never had to answer this question.
"I can be critical if it isn't up to standard, but I'll also give credit where credit is due. If someone deserves a compliment, you have to give it to them"
Are you closer to your father or your mother? [Laughs] My mother would say the latter, but I always loved spending time with my father, too. Not long before he passed away, we had a few really good conversations. They weren’t long, but we said everything that needed to be said. In his final hours, we shared a beer. “It’s all right”, he said, “I’ve had a good life.” I hope that when the time comes, I can say the same.
What’s the last compliment you received? A PhilZuid colleague complimented my playing. I immediately downplayed it – I’m a professional, so it should sound good! But it’s still nice to hear, and it was nice of him to take the time to say it. I’m the same way; I can be critical if something isn’t up to standard, but I’ll also give credit where credit is due. If someone deserves a compliment, you have to give it to them.
Everyone should know this composer. Do I have to pick just one? Oh dear… [Thinks] Richard Strauss. He’s incredible at capturing atmosphere in music. His An Alpine Symphony is the musical embodiment of a mountain hike. The sunrise, reaching the summit, the glacier… you can picture it so vividly. I enjoy conducting his work, though I don’t do it often – it’s difficult for amateurs to perform. The most challenging piece I’ve ever done with the University Orchestra was Brahms’s Symphony No. 2 earlier this year. We worked on it for six months, and just before Christmas, I thought, “We’re going to pull this off.” And we did, which was a wonderful feeling.
"I find it difficult to say no. I once had to list my work activities for the Tax Administration and realised I’d been working seven days per week"
In ten years… I’ll still be a percussionist with PhilZuid, but probably no longer conducting the University Orchestra. I’ve been with them for twenty years, and I’ll be 65 by then – too old to work with a new generation of students. Maybe I’ll pass the baton to my son. He’s 17 now, has a good ear, and he also wants to be a conductor. I think it’s great, but I do worry, given the pressure the arts are under in the Netherlands. [Laughs] Yes, the same concern my father once had about me.
I still want to learn... how to set boundaries. I find it difficult to say no. I once had to list my work activities for the Tax Administration and realised I’d been working seven days per week. Am I a workaholic? It doesn’t feel that way, but I’ve come close to burnout. I’ve learnt the hard way that I need to carve out time for rest in busy periods. If I don’t, I become irritable and snap at the people around me, and I want to prevent that from happening. It’s the downside of my drive.