Jörgen van Rijen

The Dutch trombonist Jörgen van Rijen, who was born in 1975, studied at the Rotterdam Conservatory and the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Lyon. Following his initial engagement with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, he was appointed principal trombonist with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in 1997, where he has remained ever since. He has also played in the same position in the Lucerne Festival Orchestra since 2007. As a specialist on both modern and Baroque trombone, Jörgen van Rijen is in great demand as a soloist. He has performed in numerous European countries as well as in the USA, Canada, Japan, China, South Korea, Russia, Singapore, and Australia and has given concerts with such orchestras as the Czech Philharmonic, the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, working with conductors like Gustavo Gimeno, Jonathan Nott, and Martyn Brabbins. Jörgen van Rijen is committed to the further development of the trombone repertoire. Numerous works have been composed for him, including pieces by such composers as Kalevi Aho, James MacMillan, Nico Muhly, and Theo Verbey. He premiered Bryce Dessner’s Trombone Concerto in 2020, Tan Dun’s Three Muses in Video Game the following year, and Samy Moussa’s Yericho in 2023. As a chamber musician, he is a member of the New Trombone Collective, RCO Brass, and Brass United. He teaches at the Amsterdam Conservatory and at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Jörgen van Rijen has garnered many distinctions, including first prizes at the international competitions in Toulon and Guebwiller. He received the Dutch Music Prize, the highest award of the Dutch Ministry of Culture in the field of music, in 2004 and, in 2006, the Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award. Jörgen van Rijen plays exclusively on instruments made by Antoine Courtois and has released several recordings, the most recent of which is the album Mirrored in Time with the Alma Quartet.

Jörgen van Rijen has performed here every summer since 2007 as principal trombone with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, not only in their orchestral concerts but also in unique chamber music programs. 

August 2024