Together, the trumpets, horns, trombones and tuba of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra form the Brass Ensemble of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. The aim of the Brass Ensemble of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is to demonstrate through concerts and masterclasses the versatile repertoire for brass instruments in various combinations. These formations can vary from a trio to a large ensemble of 20 players, sometimes complemented by percussion.

In the Netherlands, the Ensemble has performed in various venues such as the Royal Concertgebouw, during the famous Amsterdam Canal Festival and during the Giromania Festival to mark the start of the “Giro d’Italia”. Members of the Brass Ensemble of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra are well-known performers and teachers around the world. Most of the members teach at top Dutch and international music institutes and perform often as soloists.

The Brass Ensemble of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra has performed extensively at home and abroad. After a successful American tour in 2003, other tours in the USA followed: in the Chicago Symphony Hall with the brass section of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (2005), and in 2006 and 2009 in New York with the New York Philharmonic brass section. The Ensemble has performed and given masterclasses in numerous countries such as the United States, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Spain, Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy, Austria, Bulgaria Costa Rica, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Belgium. The Ensemble has inspired various composers to write works and to make arrangements especially for them.

In 2007 they presented their first CD, “Brass of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra”, released on the RCO Live label of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. A second CD, “Brass Too”, was released in October 2014. Many of their performances have been broadcast at home and abroad. They are active on various social media accounts where they share content with their many followers.