Marine Band – Royal Netherlands Navy
The Marine Band of the Royal Netherlands Navy (Marinierskapel der Koninklijke Marine) was founded in 1945 and is based on the Marine Corps barracks in Rotterdam. This ensemble is made up of 53 professional musicians and is in fact the musical visiting card of the Royal Netherlands Navy. With her characteristic ‘Sound & Drive’ the band has won the hearts of a large public and has substantially contributed to the development and appreciation of military music in the Netherlands. The band’s principal responsibility is the musical accompaniment of military ceremonial events for the Royal Family, Government and the Royal Netherlands Navy.
On these occasions the Marine Band often perform together with the Drums & Fifes of the Marine Corps (Tamboers en Pijpers van het Korps Mariniers). But there’s much more than just marching music on the repertoire; this symphonic wind band is extremely versatile and its musical styles range from classical, popular, Dixieland and bigband to chamber music, including a string ensemble. The band travels thousands of miles each year, performing both at home and abroad, living up to the Dutch Marines’ motto Qua Patet Orbis: As far as the world extends. Not just to most European countries, but also to the United States, Russia, the Caribbean and Japan for example. Among these international performances are the accompaniments of international performing artists and cooperation with other orchestras as The United States Marine Band “The Presidents Own”, The Bands of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines and The Rimsky-Korsakov Central Navy Band of Russia.