Bence Major

Bence Major

Percussion Tutor

Bence Major was appointed as principal percussionist of the Concertgebouworkest in August 2014. He was born in Szombathely, Hungary and received his musical training at the Debrecen music academy, where he was awarded the Artisjus Prize. He continued his studies at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam with renowned teachers such as Gustavo Gimeno, Peter Prommel, Ramon Lormans, Victor Oskam, Arnold Marinissen, Nick Woud, and his current colleague Mark Braafhart.

Before his appointment with the Concertgebouworkest, Major often performed as a substitute with the orchestra. He has also played with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra. As a student, he was a member of prestigious youth orchestras such as the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra, the European Union Youth Orchestra, and the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra. During the 2013-14 season, Major served as the assistant principal percussionist with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra.

In 2014, Major joined the Conservatorium van Amsterdam as a percussion teacher and in 2021, he joined the Franz Liszt Academy of Music Budapest.

(Image: Mladen Pikulic)