Ab Brouwer
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Ab Brouwer (Abraham Jakobus) was born in 1954 to musical parents, who gave him all the space he needed.
In 1961 (at the age of 7) he started on cornet at Muziekvereniging Ons Genoegen from Kapelle, where he was also a board member for about 14 years and still plays!
In the early 1960s, he was taught there by Mr. Mannaert of the Zeeland Music School.
When he was 13, he also took lessons on church organ with Gommert de Kok of the Ned. Rev. Church in Kapelle-Biezelinge.
Subsequently, he had organ lessons from Mr. de Kort and Mr. Evert Heijblok at the Zeeland Music School.
The then mayor of Kapelle (Zeeland), Mr. van Suylekom, gave him a Rabobank bank account because he played the Last Post (Le Salut aux Morts) for many years (after the Marine Chapel) at the
Remembrance Day of the ca. 400 French fallen.
He did so for years.
At the age of 15 he also started taking piano lessons with Mr. Stoffel Gunst, with whom he also received the 2-year preparatory course for the Conservatory.
In the meantime he played trumpet with Paul C. van Belzen, teacher and director of the Music School Bevelanden/Tholen.
He advised him to take lessons with Wim Groot at the Conservatory.
That was during the HAVO training at the Christelijk Lyceum in Goes.
At the age of 16 he was one of the founders of Dance and Show Orchestra The Evergreens.
After the Preparatory Course at the Conservatory in Goes, he first went on to do the Preparatory Course at the Brabant Conservatory in Tilburg.
At the age of 18 he was admitted to the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam (now the Conservatory of Amsterdam) for Performing Musician Trumpet and School Music, for which he graduated simultaneously in 1980.
At the time, classes were from Monday 08.30h and stopped on Friday at 15.30h, in the weekend of course concerts.
He majored in Trumpet from Wim Groot, who was principal trumpet player of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra for more than 40 years.
He got his methodology from Klaas Kos, the 1st cornetist of the same orchestra.
Gregorian chant was given to him by Huub Bartz, with whom he went to Solesmes in France.
Choral conducting by Jan Pasveer and piano by Boukje Land and Jan Huizing.
He received Counterpoint, Harmony and Analysis from Mrs. Belinfante.
Conductor and composer Rogier van Otterloo had just graduated...
For the Main subject School Music he was taught by Louk Nelissen, Job ter Steege and Jan Raas.
He wrote his graduation thesis for School Music in Cologne on School Radio with Mr. Karl Weber, director of the Schulfunk of the WDR (Westdeutsche Rundfunk).
Already during his studies he was asked to fill in on trumpet for 2 weeks with the Frysk Orchestra in Leeuwarden.
After his studies, he had to do military service. After consultation with Colonel J.P. Laro, he first joined the 11th Division of Riding Artillery in Schaarsbergen and then as Trumpeter and Deputy Conductor to the Artillery
Trumpet Corps in Harderwijk. Colonel Laro gave him all the facilities to complete his diplomas during the
to continue his military service with Wim Groot.
In 1980 he founded the company ABMP, "Ab
Brouwer Music Productions", in which he housed all other musical activities.
With the Holland Choir there was a party in September '94. 'Cause he went with about 200 singers, the people
of the Evangelical Broadcasting Company and his trumpet TV recordings throughout Israel. For quite some time he played
with colleagues in the Brass Tentet "ZeBrass. Tadeusz Kassati composed "Escales" for it in 2002.
Since 1981 he has worked eight days a week as a music teacher, trumpet player and pianist.
His main job (after the IKV in Hoofddorp) was after the Military Service to teach music at the "Rijks
Scholengemeenschap " Scheldemond in Vlissingen and the Zeeland Music School.
As a teacher of small brass, he succeeded Paul C. van Belzen at the Zeeland Music School dept. Middelburg.
As a teacher of small brass, he succeeded Paul C. van Belzen at the Zeeland Music School dept. Middelburg.
He also taught piano, solfège, conducting and preparatory training at the Conservatory. Later, he also taught at the
Buys Ballot College, the Sint Willibrord College, the Ostrea Lyceum in Goes and the Hogeschool Zeeland.
He has attended the Philip Jones Summer School in Horncastle eight times.
And he went to the
International Trumpet Guild conferences in Montreux where he was taught by Maurice André, Pierre and others.
Thibaud, Bo Nilsson and Edward Tarr. And with Huug Steketee and Jos Kieft to London, where many
got to know trumpet players, including Arturo Sandoval.
With one of Wim Groot's successors, trumpeter Peter Masseurs, he went on, invited by
Schagerl, after the 50th birthday of James Morrison in Stift Melk.
He supervised students at the Princess Christina Competition on the grand piano. On trumpet he played a.o.
in the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Residentie Orkest, the Bach Orchestra, the Evangelical
Broadcasting, brass tent ZeBrass, and with records and CD recordings and concerts of many Choirs and Orchestras.
After a stroke (cerebral hemorrhage) in 2011, he is now playing as usual.
