He learned to play the keyboard at the age of three, was trained by his father to really listen to music, and ‘naturally’ went to the conservatory to further develop his love for the trombone and conducting. Rolf Hoogenberg explains how he has been surrounded by music his entire life.
What is your role in The CineMusic Experience?
“I have been playing trombone with CineMusic for two years now. I joined as a replacement for Jeroen Drenth, who was the regular trombonist. My first performance was in Zaandam. Because it is desirable for such a large orchestra to be able to replace each other, I became a permanent member. Jeroen and I now alternate.”
Besides being a trombonist, you are also the second conductor…
“Yes, this mutual replaceability is of course not only important within the instrumental sections, but also for the conductor. I had known Henk for a long time, and he knew that I had been conducting for twenty years myself. I was incredibly honored when he asked if I wanted to be his second conductor. Henk guided me well in this and also gave me the space to grow into it.”
What makes this conductor role challenging?
“When you stand in the conductor’s place, a lot of stimuli come at you. You have an orchestra that wants something from you, you want to make music at the highest level, the film music is challenging and at the same time you have the film images with which the music must match. To make the latter succeed, we use headphones with which we hear a click track (a kind of metronome, ed.). This indicates the tempo at which the film images are shown and therefore at which the music must be played. It really gives me a kick when everything comes together perfectly.”
Was the trombone the first instrument you played?
“No, I started playing the keyboard at the age of three. My father was an organist, he gave keyboard lessons at music schools and was a conductor, and we had all the resources at home. I was a curious child and enjoyed practicing. One day I was sitting next to my mother at a concert where my father was conducting. When I heard the trombones, I said: “I want that too.” Thanks to my father, I had a trombone in my hands a day later. That has been my instrument ever since.”
Did you always have music around you as a child?
“Certainly, also in a creative way; my father often created music and wrote songs. If he went to a recording studio, I was often allowed to come along. There he invariably asked me the question ‘what do you think of it?’. He wanted to make me think. That question sharpened my hearing: how is the tuning of the pitch, is it really good? Those days in the recording studio have been the basis for honing my hearing.”
Do you think it is important for children to come into contact with music at a young age?
“I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to give children the opportunity to make music. For me it was very natural, but that is not the case for everyone. I also know that not every child is a musician in the making, but you only find that out if a child gets the chance to try it. I wish playing an instrument was as accessible as playing football.”
Did you always want to become a professional musician?
“It was mainly very logical that I would do something in music. I didn’t even ask myself if I wanted to do something else, I just went to the conservatory. I dreamed of being able to conduct my own music. I was already writing music at the age of fourteen, I even won a competition with it. I discovered that conducting suits me well and that I enjoy working with people. Now there are about 7 orchestras for which I conduct. It has become an even greater passion of mine than the trombone.”
What makes the trombone special to you?
“For me it is the most versatile instrument I know. You can make both melodic and powerful sounds with it. And the trombone appears in almost all orchestra forms, from symphony orchestras to fanfare or harmony, and from brass bands to big bands. “
What else do you do besides CineMusic?
“I conduct various orchestras and am also connected as a conductor to Het Leerorkest in Amsterdam, including neighborhood talent orchestras. It is wonderful to introduce young children to music. It’s fun because the children come voluntarily and are therefore really motivated and I can sometimes connect them to the professional world. I am also co-founder of an education program: Mijn Eerste Concert (My First Concert). In it, we introduce children to playing an instrument in six weeks and we let them give a first concert. I also play in The Amsterdam Brass Quintet. With this we are also doing a very cool (and very different) film project this year. We are going to provide live musical accompaniment to the screening of an old film classic from 1932, The Most Dangerous Game.” Last year I played trombone/tuba in a large musical production. I would also really enjoy and find it challenging to be involved in such a production as a conductor in the future.”
What kind of music do you like to listen to yourself?
“My taste is very broad. One moment I can enjoy listening to jazz, but the next moment I choose classical, such as a piece by Brahms. But when it comes to film composers, I am a huge fan of Ennio Morricone. His Italian melodies and intensity touch me deeply. Once Upon a Time in the West, for example, is beautiful, but I think The Mission is perhaps even more beautiful. His music is timeless and intense; you can just feel it. And then you have John Williams. In my eyes, he is the classical composer of our time. The way he put the notes on paper is genius.”
What do you still hope to achieve with The CineMusic Experience?
“The strength of The CineMusic Experience is that the halls in which we play are not too large. This makes it possible to have contact with the audience and the people in the hall feel involved in the show. I don’t want to say that this is not possible in Ahoy or the Ziggo Dome, but I notice that we now offer people an intimate experience that works well. Last year we also played in Phil. in Haarlem, which was a very beautiful hall, specially built for music. That plays very nicely. In that line, I would find it very cool to play in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. And further… the sky is the limit!”