Marinus Komst †

1971 - 1989 Timpanist Frysk Orkest
1989 - 1991 Timpanist Noord Nederlands Orkest
1991 - 2017 Principal timpanist Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

Master of Sound, Friend for Life

With profound sadness we bid farewell to Marinus Komst, one of the great timpanists of his generation. A musical legend, and above all, a cherished friend.

For countless musicians across the world, Marinus was a beacon of inspiration: a master musician, a devoted mentor, and a flamboyant spirit with an immense love for music and for life itself. His playing carried a rare depth of soul. His sense of timing was inimitable, inevitable, yet always surprising.

He would occasionally appear at Adams without warning, that unmistakable sparkle in his eyes, ften carrying a box of sweet treats for the entire staff under his arm. A world-class artist, yet simply Marinus. Warm, original, unmistakably himself. He touched not only his audiences, but everyone fortunate enough to work alongside him.

His passion for the timpani reached far beyond the concert stage. It brought him to us, and we would not have missed that for the world. A part of Marinus lives on in every Schnellar timpani we have built, and in every one still to come.