Gerbrich Meijer

Originally from the rural village of Winsum in The Netherlands, Gerbrich Meijer (1997) is a clarinetist and is currently pursuing her Soloist Class degree at the Royal Danish Academy of Music. She recently graduated her Master's degree at the prestigious Colburn Conservatory in Los Angeles with Professor Yehuda Gilad. Prior to that, she completed her Bachelor's degree of Music with the highest distinction at the Royal Danish Academy of Copenhagen, where she studied with John Kruse.  

As finalist of the Dutch Classical Talent Award 2023/24, will Gerbrich be touring this fall with her own One Woman Show through the Netherlands. Winner of the 'Special Prize' at the Carl Nielsen International Competition 2022 and nominee of the Grachtenfestival Award 2022. Gerbrich was recipient of the Lionel Bryer Memorial Fund Award for Outstanding Musicianship, awarded to her by the European Union Youth Orchestra in 2019. She recently won the Londen Symphony Orchestra Fellowship, which was granted to her by the world-renowned festival ‘Music Academy of the West’ (USA). And was a winner of the Talent Prize from the Prince Bernhard Culture Foundation in 2018.

She has played in, among others, the orchestras of London Symphony Orchestra (UK), Danish Radio Symphony (DK), Copenhagen Philharmonic (DK), Noord Nederlands Orkest (NL), Residentie Orkest (NL), The National Repertory orchestra (USA), Stavanger Symphony orchestra (NO) and Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra (SE). Other highlights include performances at the international chamber music festivals of Janine Jansen, Liza Ferschtman and Emmy Verhey. When she was 15 years old she made her debut in the Concertgebouw. Following this, she gave a concert tour for the NTIO in Taiwan, performed for the Dutch embassy in Switzerland and gave a solo recital at the Grachtenfestival Amsterdam. 
  
In 2017, Gerbrich won the position as Principal Clarinet of the European Union Youth Orchestra. During her time as principal, the orchestra toured all over Europe and played in halls such as Concertgebouw, the Royal Albert Hall, and Konzerthaus Berlin. As an active soloist and chamber musician, Gerbrich has been featured with several orchestras as a soloist and has been an artist in residence at the ‘Franeker Kamermuziekfestival’ in The Netherlands.  

As a pedagogue Gerbrich has experience as a teaching assistant for the Colburn Music Academy. She is involved in and very enthusiastic about a community outreach educational programme called Jumpstart in Los Angeles. She believes that music education is key to unity in society. Gerbrich is experienced and trained to teach all age groups. Her first clarinet teachers Ivar Römer and Yfynke Hoogeveen, convinced Gerbrich of the importance of pedagogical quality from an early age. 

Additionally, Gerbrich is a columnist for De Klarinet, the national magazine for clarinet players. You can find an example of her writing here. 

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Gerbrich co-founded the new Dutch chamber music group the Cottage Ensemble. With this ensemble she hopes to come closer to what she envisions: a world where musicians are actively engaged with their community, by being entrepreneurs and creating opportunities for everybody in the community to get in contact with music.  
 
Gerbrich is generously supported by the Prins Bernhard Culture Foundation, the Augustinus Foundation, the Becket Foundation and is a recipient of ‘De Zilverenvork’ award.