About the founders

Essential-Instruments.com is founded by Quirijn Vos (trumpet player for Sam Feldt) and Ben Rodenburg (sax player for Bakermat). Besides their passion for the instruments they play, they also developed a big passion for recording and arranging. Ben and Quirijn met each other during their study at the Rotterdam Conservatory (Codarts). In school they shared several subjects and band classes together, which led to multiple recording sessions in many different settings and studio’s. During these years they learned a lot about recording techniques and arranging. The learning never stopped.

When they started to record and produce, they always kept each other in focus and they kept challenging each other. Together they made some great music, which they often used in their liveshows. Besides their lives as touring musicians, they love to create new music in their studios as well. This is why they created their studios. In their studio’s you will find some of the best equipment money can buy.

Through the years they made recordings with some of the best DJ’s in the world such as: Sam Feldt, Bakermat, Driftmoon, Quintino, FlicFlac, Federico Scavo and many more.

picture by Martin Lund

Ben Rodenburg

Ben Rodenburg was born in Rotterdam the Netherlands in 1988. From a young age he knew what he wanted to be: a saxophone player. Starting at the age of 9, he quickly developed a talent for score reading, and playing the saxophone. After 2 years of playing, he went to “de Havo voor Muziek en Dans’ which is the best high school for children with a talent for music or dance, and also acts as a prior education for the Rotterdam Conservatory, which he also attended.

During his studies at the Rotterdam Conservatory, he started touring with one of the most famous singers in the Netherlands, Waylon. For 2 and a half years, Ben was his go to saxophone player. After this period, Ben worked as a session musician and toured with many different artists. in 2012 he met the Dutch DJ Bakermat and they started working together. Bakermat fell for the way Ben interacts musically, and they are still touring together around the globe.

Besides Bakermat, Ben still acts as a session musician and is one of the most booked saxophone players in the Netherlands.

Ben is an official Vandoren Reeds and Le Monde Saxophones Artist and plays the Alto/Tenor/Baritone/Soprano. 

Quirijn Vos

Quirijn Vos was born in Delft the Netherlands in 1990. Quirijn started playing the trumpet at the early age of 8. When he was 13 he was discovered by Andre Heuvelman (trumpet player at the Rotterdam Philharmonic) and joined the prepetorial class of the Rotterdam conservatory. 

In 2008 Quirijn was accepted at the Bachelor program for jazz trumpet and with a half year or Erasmus exchange in Graz he graduated in Rotterdam in 2012

In the mean time while he was studying he developed his professional career as an trumpet player. He soon discovered that his passion for music was wider than only jazz or classical music and started playing every genre that wanted a trumpet player. Under his pseudonym Q on trumpet he begun playing with DJ’s, and that turned out to be a succes. Resulting to being Sam Feldt’s trumpet player (and sound engineer) and touring all over the world.

Apart from playing with DJ’s Quirijn did numerous pop and jazz studio and live gigs. The combination between all these styles of music kept his mind open and therefore resulting in some great collaborations. He’s had the honor to share the stage with amongst others: Blaudzun, Ellen ten Damme, Maria Schneider, Izaline Callister, Miss Moly and Me and trumpet legend Ack van Rooyen.

After his conservatory education there was always one thing he would wanted to do besides playing his trumpet: he wanted to know more about the technical side of music. Therefore he studied Sound engineering at SAE in Rotterdam were he completed his study cum laude in 2013. After that he also came more and more involved in mixing live and in the studio with clients from Eric Vloeimans to singer/songwriter Thyrza van Dieijen.

Quirijn is an official endorser of DPA microphones and plays trumpet & flugelhorn.

picture by Darryl Adelaar