Artistic Director

Professor Ronald Masin joined YES as Artistic Director in 2002 from the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama where he held a senior lecturing position.

Born in Rotterdam of Czech-Dutch parentage, Ronald Masin started his violin studies at the Rotterdam Music Conservatory at the age of five. In 1962, he obtained his violin and chamber music diplomas from the Royal Music Conservatory of Brussels with the highest distinction. At the age of twenty-five, he was offered the Leadership of the Amsterdam Philharmonic Orchestra where he stayed until 1984. In 1967, he formed a chamber music group, the Amsterdam Kern Ensemble. During its eleven years of existence, the Amsterdam Kern Ensemble performed over 600 concerts in 22 countries, recorded for EMI and commissioned and performed a large number of works by contemporary composers.

From 1984 until 1986, he was Associate Professor and Head of the Strings Department at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. From September 1987 to 2002, he was Senior Lecturer at the D.I.T. Conservatory of Music and Drama and a regular guest teacher at International Masterclasses in Ireland and abroad. He is founder and artistic director of the Music Instrument Fund of Ireland. Professor Masin instructs students in the Senior Programme at the School.