Edouard Beyens
by Jacob Jahiel
Edouard Beyens
PRINCIPAL PERCUSSIONIST LEVI GERSTUNG SPONSORSHIP
For an orchestral musician , specializing in a single instrument is typically a necessity of the job . But there are exceptions , and they usually wield a mallet .
BSO Principal Percussionist Edouard Beyens plays close to a half dozen instruments within any given season — snare drum , cymbals , marimba , xylophone , drum set , the list goes on . His versatility , he says , is partly a result of the audition process , which requires applicants to be experts in a range of percussion instruments .
“ People used to specialize more . Now , you have to be able to play everything at a very high level .” So where does he fit in ? “ My job is to find the hardest part and to play it .” Surely , though , he must have a favorite . “ I grew up playing piano , so I ’ m very partial to xylophone , marimba , any of the ‘ keyboards .’ But I also love playing the snare drum , and it ’ s most of what I do here .”
Appointed in 2022 , Beyens is a relatively fresh face in the Orchestra , joining after a year in the St . Louis Symphony where , among other things , he developed an interest in niche bourbon whiskey . “ I ’ ve only been here for about thirteen months , but I like Baltimore a lot . The town itself is really hip — there ’ s a good arts scene , good food scene , good bars , coffee , just about everything . And I like being near water ,” a feature he missed from living in Los Angeles , where he attended the Colburn School pre-pandemic .
Which raises the age-old question : which coast is the best coast ? He laughs : “ I would have to say the East Coast . It reminds me more of Europe , of France , which is where I grew up until I was nine years old .” Right answer , Edouard . Right answer .
MITRO HOOD
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