David Kuijken

Hello! I’m David Kuijken (junior). I’m the first percussionist to have had the honor of receiving a marimba on loan from the Music Instrument Fund.

My name is David Kuijken; I was born in 1997 and I’m from Nieuwkoop. I come from a musical family, so I’ve always been surrounded by music at home. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been involved with percussion. When I was 5 years old, I started taking drum lessons. After a few years, I took a brief detour into piano, only to return to percussion. This time, I took lessons in Kortenhoef at a percussion association, where I was introduced to the marimba. It was love at first sight.

I completed my bachelor’s degree in classical percussion at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, where, in addition to the marimba, I also received instruction on all the orchestral percussion instruments. In 2021, I graduated from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. 

Since 2021, I have been pursuing a master’s degree in classical percussion at Codarts Rotterdam.

The beautiful instrument I have on loan from the Music Instrument Fund is made in the Netherlands, specifically at the Adams factory. Adams is known worldwide as one of the best marimba makers.

My marimba teacher, Ramon Lormans, personally selected the keys for my marimba, carefully assembling the entire keyboard. The keys on my marimba are made of rosewood and come from South America. In my opinion, this wood produces the warmest and most beautiful sound. 

When I went to pick up my marimba, I was given a tour of the entire factory and was able to see where and how each part of the marimba is made.

I’ve had my Adams Alpha 5-octave marimba since 2018 and am still very happy with it. I’ve already had the opportunity to give several wonderful concerts on it, but above all, I’ve been able to practice on it a lot at home. This was especially a great privilege during the COVID-19 pandemic when venues and schools were closed.

Now that musical life is back on track, I hope to be back on concert stages with my beautiful marimba soon.