Martin Prchal is vice-principal at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague since 2011. Trained as a musician of Czech origin in the US, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and the UK, he holds teaching and performance diplomas (violoncello) and a MA degree in musicology. Following a career as a performing musician and various assignments in the fields of international relations and pre-college training at the conservatoires of Utrecht, Groningen and The Hague, he became Chief Executive of the European Association of Conservatoires (AEC) in 2001, a post he held until 2010. During his time with the AEC, Martin developed expertise on issues related to professional music training in Europe, and the development of the European Higher Education Area and its implications for higher music education that is internationally acknowledged. 

His current post at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, one of the finest institutions for higher music education in the Netherlands, includes responsibilities for curriculum development and innovation, research, quality assurance and international relations.