César Ramos, student of the National Master’s Programme in Orchestral Conducting, received the very first Royal Conservatoire Rudi Martinus van Dijk Conductor’s Prize on 12 June 2025.
César completed his studies on that day with a concert in the Amare Concert Hall, where he led the Residentie Orkest in the challenging Sinfonietta by Poulenc and the First Piano Concerto by Shostakovich, with Ramon van Engelenhoven and Erwin ter Bogt as soloists. After thunderous applause and effusive praise from the exam committee, César was awarded the very first Royal Conservatoire Rudi Martinus van Dijk Conductor’s Prize. This special prize is a fund for young conductors in their first year after graduation to be put towards attending masterclasses, purchasing scores or other activities related to the development of their career.

The National Master in Orchestral Conducting (NMO) is a prestigious two-year master’s degree programme offered jointly by the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and the Royal Conservatoire The Hague. Several Dutch symphony orchestras participate in the programme, including the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, the North Netherlands Symphony Orchestra and the Residentie Orkest.