Harry Ries & Markus Leuchter Trombone Interview
Welcome to the show notes for Episode #48 of the Trombone Corner podcast. This episode features Harry Ries and Markus Leuchter.
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About Harry Ries & Markus Leuchter
Markus Leuchter is a German trombone maker specializing in both historical brass instruments and modern trombones. His workshop is located in Herzogenrath, near Aachen, Germany.
Markus apprenticed with the renowned trombone builder Heribert Glassl in Nauheim, and has collaborated with trombonists Harry Ries, Christoph Schwarz, and Noah Gladstone on a variety of models and instrument designs. He is particularly well known for his alto, bass, and contrabass trombones, as well as his work in historical brass.
He maintains a small workshop near his home, where he handcrafts each instrument from start to finish. His instruments are used by professional performers in early music as well as players in leading radio and symphony orchestras across Europe.
Harry Ries is a Dutch trombonist and early music specialist, born in 1947 in Kerkrade, Netherlands. After completing his studies in The Hague, he built a distinguished orchestral career, serving as principal trombonist with both the Limburg Symphony Orchestra in Maastricht and later the Gürzenich Orchestra in Cologne. In 1978, he was appointed principal trombonist of the West German Radio Symphony Orchestra in Cologne, a position that further established his reputation as a leading orchestral musician.
Alongside his orchestral work, Ries became deeply involved in historically informed performance, collaborating with many of Europe’s most prominent early music ensembles. His credits include performances with groups such as Hesperion XXI, the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, La Petite Bande, and Concerto Palatino, working with leading figures in the early music movement.
In addition to his performing career, he has been an influential educator, teaching trombone and chamber music at the conservatories of Maastricht and Aachen. Over time, his artistic focus increasingly shifted toward early brass instruments, particularly the sackbut, contributing to the revival and evolution of historical trombone performance practice.
Links
Podcast Credits
- Theme Music: The Trombone Choir Arrangements of Jay Friedman, Vol. 1
- Audio Engineer – Preston Shepard
- Cover Art – Frank Gladstone
- Podcast Hosts – Noah Gladstone & John Snell
