Eugene Trofimczyk joined the CPO as principal percussion in 2001 coming from the National Chamber Orchestra which was closing in Mafikeng.  He studied at Stellenbosch and also with well known teachers such as Snowy Edwards, John Hargreaves and Linda Muller, and  personally owns 55, while he also plays many of the CPO’s other instruments like marimba and timpani. It’s the cymbals, though, that give the most pleasure. “Cymbals are hand made and whenever I play the CPO’s smallest  Turkish set, I remember the history of them. Eugene was raised in a family of musicians  who were members of marching bands and his interest in piano (relinquished for some years for gym) was overtaken at the age of 12 when he was selected to play snare drum in a high school marching band.  Experience in the National Youth Orchestra, playing in and running the Spier Festival Orchestra for a season, some years as ad hoc prepared him for a job he has loved for more than 25 years in this orchestra, where he says he has,  after the conductor, the best seat in the house!