It is with great sadness that we have learnt of the passing of our colleague, pianist Jeroen Bal, on 25 January 2026. He had been seriously ill for some time. Jeroen was a very committed, beloved and valued member of our orchestra. We will greatly miss his presence, his musicianship, and his warmth. Our thoughts are with his wife and children, and with all those who held him dear.
Jeroen Bal joined the Concertgebouworkest as the very first pianist in its history in January 2019. Prior to this appointment, he worked very regularly as a substitute with the Concertgebouworkest and with various other Dutch orchestras, as well as with such international orchestras as the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, with which he has performed the substantial solo part in Stravinsky’s Petrushka under the direction of Pierre Boulez. He has also performed this work on a number of occasions with the Concertgebouworkest under the baton of both Riccardo Chailly and Mariss Jansons.
Bal has accompanied the orchestra on tours of Japan and the US. He gives frequent chamber music performances with other members of the orchestra, having recorded a CD with Camerata RCO in 2016. Along with violinist Tjeerd Top and cellist Johan van Iersel, he is a member of the Vermeer Trio. He and principal trumpet player Omar Tomasoni toured Japan for a month in December 2017.
Bal studied with Jan Wijn at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. He was a finalist at the Princess Christina Competition, won the Concertgebouw’s Vriendenkrans Competition and reached the semi-finals of the International Franz Liszt Piano Competition in Utrecht in 1996.