Mon, Jan 26, 2026
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.
Having played with our orchestra on a very regular basis since 2002, Jeroen joined us in 2019 as the first permanent pianist in the history of the Concertgebouw Orchestra. In addition to his main instrument, the piano, he also played the celesta. He often accompanied candidates during auditions and was regularly called upon to assist with rehearsals with conductors and vocalists.
When he joined the orchestra on a permanent basis in 2019, he told Preludium: ‘Having played with the orchestra for seventeen years, it feels as if I have been a member for a very long time. The musicians always made me feel that I belonged, of which this is simply further confirmation. I am very happy and grateful. And it is very special, because there are very few leading orchestras with a permanent pianist.’
One of his signature pieces was Stravinsky's Petrushka, which he performed many times with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, but also with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, for example. As a recitalist, Jeroen enjoyed playing Liszt’s Sonata in B minor, and he also named Chopin and Prokofiev as his favourite composers.
Jeroen performed frequently in chamber music ensembles with other orchestra members. In 2010, he formed the Vermeer Trio with violinist Tjeerd Top and cellist Johan van Iersel, recorded a CD with Camerata RCO in 2016, and toured with various colleagues from the orchestra.
Jeroen studied with Jan Wijn at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. He took masterclasses with György Sebők, György Sándor and Boris Berman. In 1991, he won first prize at the SJMN Competition and second prize at the Princess Christina Competition; in 1996, he reached the semi-finals of the International Franz Liszt Piano Competition in Utrecht. Together with cellist Johan van Iersel, he received the Silver ‘Friendship Wreath’ from the Friends of the Concertgebouw and the Concertgebouw Orchestra in 1992. As pianist of the Escher Trio, he took masterclasses with Isaac Stern, Mstislav Rostropovich and Menahem Pressler, won several prizes and gained recognition during tours of Europe and the United States. Jeroen has also served as a répétiteur at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam since 1997.
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.