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Peter Vulperhorst
Peter is a renowned and experienced percussionist who performs, composes and teaches percussion. He has performed in the musicals Copacabana, Sweet Charity, The Lion King and recently in the new musical Tarzan. Peter has worked with many top international musicians together in concerts, productions and TV shows such as: Andrea Bocelli, Mory Kanté, Mr Phil Collins, the Chris Hinze Tour and the group Circle Percussion (Japanese drums). Peter has specialised in playing a large variety of percussion instruments, has his own music school and composes for many music projects.
Specialized in the following instruments:
| Classical Percussion: | Timpani, Xylophone, Snare drum, Cymbal a’Deux, Clockenspiel, Solo Marimba |
| Light Music (pop): |
Drums |
| Latin Percussion: | Conga’s, Bongo’s, Timbales, many different percussion effect instruments |
| World Percussion: | Japanese druммing (Kodo style) , Brazilian, African |
| Drum Band style: | American rudimental druммing, Scottish style, Basler Troммeln |
Musical Experience:
One of the highlights for Peter this year was playing with the world famous artist Mory Kanté.( YEKE-YEKE) and his Band. Peter played African percussion in this concert.
Peter was involved as a Taiko Druммer in a tour with Chris Hinze, the world famous flautist who has performed worldwide with many great artists. Peter has been an active participant as a percussionist with the well-known percussion group Circle Percussion which specializes in Japanese Druммing. During the tour Peter performed together with druммer Baz Mattie, the former druммer from Junky XL (Tom Holkenborg).
Peter also performs freelance for many projects and studio sessions.
In 1995 Peter started his own percussion school Slagwerkschool-Leeuwarden. This school is one of the most important parts of The Percussion Factory, a company he started where percussion projects and events are produced. Examples include contributing performances for the opening of the Amsterdam Arena in 1996; product introduction events for companies such as Volkswagen and BMW; the Pile Driver Concert in Hempens/Teerns, Open Air Spectacles with lots of “flash, fire and water”; and Friesland Vaart 2006. Peter has also organized/performed several percussion projects and events in collaboration with the local theatre DE HARMONIE.
At the age of 7 Peter started to “play the drums” at the world famous Pasveerkorps in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. His teacher at that time was Sjoerd Westra, who taught him the first tricks of the trade of percussion. These lessons are still a great source of inspiration to Peter’s musical career. At the age of 10, his interest for percussion appeared to go further than just “druммing” and Peter started taking classes in classical and light music (pop) at the music school in Leeuwarden with master druммer Johan Faber.
Peter has been artistic leader and performer with the successful Dutch show band Pasveerkorpsen since 1990, which shows that he has not forgotten his roots. Pasveerkorpsen is known all over the world because of their unique composition and performances. This show band performed in many world championships and has won 4 world titles (in 1989, 1993, 1997, 1998 and 2005). The Dutch magazine Slagwerkkrant has voted Pasveerkorps the Best Showband of the Benelux for the last 19 years.
Peter has also developed his own drum style for marching percussion.
Peter is also artistic leader of the Dutch percussion group “HARDWARE PERCUSSION”.
Peter also writes percussion compositions and arrangements for his own performances as well as on assignments.
Peter served his military duty in the military band Limburgse Jagers in 1985/’86 as 1st percussionist/druммer.
Musical Education
In 1984 Peter went to the United States for a year where he continued his percussion education. He received the Best Student Award in 1985 and State Champion with the Wildcat Marching Band in 1984.
In 1987 Peter started his education at the Utrecht Conservatory and the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam. During this period Peter performed with the Dutch Radio Chambre Orchestra, Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Radio Symphony Orchestra, Metropole Orchestra and worked as percussionist with the Nieuwe Slagwerkgroep in Amsterdam.
In 1994 he received his degree in performing arts.
Besides performing, composing and teaching, Peter is a promotional representative of Majestic Holland, B.V. He organizes demonstrations, clinics and workshops. One of his demonstration performances is a Marching/Percussion show called EXTREME which is also one of Peter’s many compositions.
Recently Peter is the New Managing Director of Majestic Holland. Together with the Majestic Percussion team he has developed new instruments for Majestic.
You can follow Peter’s activities on the web sites at www.thepercussionfactory.nl, www.pasveer.nl and www.slagwerkschool-leeuwarden.nl. Information about the percussion group Hardware Percussion can be found at www.hardware-percussion.nl.