Bart van Lier

Bart van Lier, born on June 14, 1950 in Haarlem (the Netherlands), began playing the cornet in his local brass band at the age of 7.

2 years later he changed to bugle and at the age of 13 began private trumpet lessons. At the Hilversum Music Lyceum his course of study in 1965 (trumpet and violin as principle instruments) transformed into a trombone study one year later. 

In 1968 he began freelancing for the radio, TV, and commercial recording studios.

Between 1969 and 1977 he was a member of the following ensembles: the “Tony Nolte TV Orchestra”, the “Netherlands Jazz Orchestra”, Rogier van Otterloo’s TV Orchestra for the program” Music All Inn”, “Boy’s Big Band”, and Slide Hampton’s 4trombone group.

From 1977 he played in Cees Slinger’s “Just in Case”, the “ Frans Elsen Septett” (until 1979), the “Ramblers” (until 1980) , the “Skymasters” and “Nueva Manteca”. He played over 30 years with the “Peter Herbolzheimer Big Band”.

Bart has been teaching at the Hilversum Conservatory from 1980 until 1998. He also was the trombone teacher at the Hague Conservatory from 1977-83 and 1991-94.

He has a post at the Rotterdam Conservatory since 1998. Since 1994 he teaches classical master classes for brass in Rotterdam and since 2011 also at Amsterdam Conservatory. 

The trombone “Model Bart van Lier” went into production by Fa. “Kühnl and Hoyer “ in 1994. Meanwhile there are three different models under his name. The same year his technique book “Coordination Training Program for Trombone Playing” was published for the international market. It is available in 5 different languages.

He was appointed permanent first trombonist and soloist of the Metropole Orchestra in 1992, and since 1990 his own groups “Bart’s Bones” and  “Trio Bart van Lier” have been performing for the Nederland Impresariaat.

In 1998 the “Bart van Lier- Ilja Reijngoud Quintet” was founded.

Over the years Bart has given concerts and trombone workshops in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Hungary, the United Kingdom, India, Japan and the United States.

In 2004 he got the professorship in Germany at the Folkwang-Conservatory, Essen.

In 2005 and 2007 he toured  in Japan, Spain and Switzerland for playing and teaching.

2013 three-week tour ITE in Japan

2013 Guest soloist with the German WDR Big Band “Dutch Brass”

2014 two-week tour with Ilja Reijngoud in Japan

2014 workshops on Conservatory’s in Germany, Nürnberg, Würzburg

Noteworthy recordings are “First Brass”(1985), Bart’s Bones (1991), his solo album with the Metropole Orchestra, “Twilight”(1998) and the CD “Memories of the Future” from the Bart van Lier-Ilja Reijngoud Quintet (1999).

ITE with Bart van Lier as soloist

2014 Trombone Festival Lille , France

2015 ITA Award Valencia

2017 Royal Albert Hall, Soloist of the Proms 

2018  Prague Trombone Festival

2020 ITA Award Teaching