New head at Luxembourg's music school

Luxembourg's prestigious music school is about to become more international thanks to the appointment of an accomplished trombonist to the seat of director.

Marc Meyers assumed his first task as head of the Conservatoire de musique in Merl on Thursday, where he introduced himself to members of the press.

A Luxembourg national, who specialises in the trombone and piano, Mr Meyers spoke in flawless English of his desire to forge closer international networks.

He said: “I think with the internet, multimedia and human contact now is the time to forge networks with other classical institutions so that we can interest people from around the world to come to Luxembourg and share their culture here.”

The 38-year-old studied for five years at the music school in Dudelange before continuing his studies at the Conservatoire National de Région de Metz, in France, where he received the médaille d'or for trombone in 1990.

During his career, he spent time working and studying around the world. The turning point in his musical education, he said, came during a music camp on the US border with Canada.

“For me it was the first step as a trombone player to think about the instrument differently,” he said, adding: “I started out with my father learning the trombone and my education had been in France, Germany and Luxembourg prior to that where the cultural values were the same.

“But at the camp I realised that the interpretation afterwards can be completely different. It was a kind of turning point for me. I saw that no musician knows the musical “truth” but that truth might be formed of music based on different points of views. For me it was an eye-opening moment and that camp was an overture to a different world.”

Mr Meyers has played in some of the most prestigious venues around the world, including London's Royal Albert Hall, where he performed with the European Youth Orchestra.

The musician's local experience prepares him well for the challenges ahead. He has taught music and trombone at the Conservatoire since 1995 and was promoted to a senior teaching position in 2002. He has also served as Conservatoire coordinator in local schools and is head of wind instruments at the Conservatoire's Harmonic Orchestra.

Succeeding Fernand Jung, Mr Meyers' goals as director include changing local attitudes about the Conservatoire and showing it is for everyone, forging closer links with other music schools in Luxembourg and building a stronger international network.

Mr Meyers said: “I think that it's very good to show that there is a new start at the Conservatoire. We want to make it clear that we are opening the doors.”

In addition to the accolades mentioned above, Mr Meyers also received the Premier Prix Interrégional de trombone, a Prix Supérieur de musique de chambre with distinction, a Premier Prix de jazz with distinction and a Premier Prix de direction d'orchestre with distinction.