Pianist Ruben Plazier obtained his Diplôme Supérieur d’èxécution unanimously in 2021 at the Ecole Normale de Musique Alfred Cortot in Paris, where he was accompanied by Jean-Bernard Pommier.
Ruben started playing the piano at the age of 6 because his parents had a piano at home. After much experimentation behind the piano, he received his first lessons at the local music school in Dordrecht.
At the age of 13 he received a number of lessons from Wibi Soerjadi at his home in Zeist. These lessons provided a lot of motivation. Shortly afterwards, at the age of 14, he entered the Rotterdam Conservatory where he studied with the Belgian pianist, Stéphane De May.
Through Stéphane De May, Ruben got to know the French pianist Jean-Bernard Pommier. Pommier’s lessons and playing inspired him to such an extent that Ruben seized every opportunity to play for him. For 3 years Ruben traveled everywhere he could play for Jean-Bernard Pommier, mostly to Beziers in the South of France. He did all this while obtaining his Bachelor’s Degree at the Conservatory of Rotterdam with Stéphane De May.
Pommier started teaching at the Ecole Normale de Musique Alfred Cortot in Paris. From then on, Ruben traveled every week between Paris and Rotterdam. Here Ruben obtained the diplôme Supérieur d’Enseignement and Supérieur d’execution with unanimity of the jury. He is currently attending the Concertiste program (artist diploma) of the Ecole Normale in Paris.
The special bond he has developed with Pommier has an enormous influence on his playing. He inherited the old Russian schooling in ideas about sound and phrasing.
Ruben has won several prizes over the years including the international FestiVal d’Anniviers Prize in Switzerland, first prize at the Archipel Music Competition, Concerto Competition in the Netherlands, and more.
As a soloist, Ruben has performed with the Orchester de Conservatoire royal de Liège, Symphony Orchestra Rijnmond, Orkest van Utrecht, Orchester de FestiVal d’Anniviers, among others. One of the highlights of Ruben’s career was the invitation to perform with the Latvian Radio Choir conducted by Sigvards Klava.
Ruben received masterclasses from renowned pianists such as: Jean-Bernard Pommier, Angela Hewitt, Frank Braley, Wibi Soerjadi, and Håkon Austbø.
He played in all major venues in the Netherlands such as: The Concertgebouw Amsterdam, De Doelen Rotterdam, TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht, Muziekgebouw in Eindhoven and more.
