Mariëlle van Pruijssen

I was born and raised in a village with a village brass band, in which my father and formerly his father also played. When I was eleven years old, I desperately wanted to play the flugelhorn, I loved it so much! But they were not available at that time, so I got an alto horn pressed into my hands (a very small tuba). After a year, my then teacher said that I was talented and should play the horn. The society then purchased a new instrument for me and that's how it started.
I have my current instrument, an Alexander 103, on loan from the Residentie Orkest. Our wonderful Society of Friends donated a whole set of new horns to the orchestra. All five of us tried a number of horns and all came to a choice that resulted in a beautiful instrument for each of us individually. A brass instrument does not last as long as a violin or cello, simply because the mechanism is subject to wear and tear.

1998

Brabants Conservatorium Tilburg (DM and UM) with Herman Jeurissen, former solo horn player of the Residentie Orkest. Furthermore, I took various lessons and courses with, among others, Peter Damm in Dresden, Froydis Ree Wekre, Michaël Höltzel, Richard Bissill and London Brass in London (Guildhall School) and Radovan Vlatkovich. Furthermore, I completed the teacher training program primary education at the Hogeschool InHolland (2010-2012).

I don't really have a favorite composer. My interest is really very broad. The music I listen to often depends on what we are playing in the orchestra or on my mood. I like Renaissance music very much. In my youth and during my studies I listened a lot to the great classical, romantic and some more modern works, of course partly because of my instrument, the horn. The well-known repertoire written for the horn (in orchestra) pretty much begins in the early classical period. Mahler, Bruckner, Shostakovich, Brahms, I love it all. I enjoy tremendously when we play this repertoire in the orchestra, it's such an insane thing to do! About ten years ago we played the opera Francis of Assisi by Olivier Messiaen, which was also so impressively beautiful. I do notice that at home or in the car I often need a bit more rest and therefore often listen to Bach, the cello suites for example or the Brandenburg Concertos, or contemporaries of Bach.

I also enjoy listening to Jordi Savall. Very impressive I think, and really inspiring how his ensemble plays the old instruments.