Ralf Mackenbach

Early life

Mackenbach was born in Eindhoven, and grew up in Best, North Brabant. As a child, he starred in the musicals Tarzan and Beauty and the Beast. He attended Amsterdam's dancing academy Lucia Marthas, and studied acting at Centrum voor de Kunsten Eindhoven (CKE) in Eindhoven.

Career

Musical career

In 2009, at the age of thirteen, Mackenbach won the 2009 edition of Junior Songfestival with the song "Click Clack". As a result, he represented the Netherlands in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2009, and went on to win the competition with 121 points. "Click Clack" peaked at number 7 in the Dutch Single Top 100. Subsequently, he appeared in the , and contests as part of an interval act.

Mackenbach's debut album Ralf achieved a top 10 spot in the Dutch album charts and entered the Flemish album charts at number 59. In March 2011, it achieved gold status with over 25,000 sales.

In 2011 and 2012, Mackenbach participated in the celebrity contest shows Sterren dansen op het ijs and Sterren springen op zaterdag. He was also a judge on the 2011 edition of the Dutch talent show My Name Is…. In 2019, he appeared as a judge on the Dutch adaptation of All Together Now.

Academic career

After graduating secondary school with a VWO certificate, Mackenbach studied at the Eindhoven University of Technology. In 2019, he finished a master's degree in nuclear fusion, for which he wrote the dissertation Numerical Modelling of Mode Penetration in Cylindrical Geometries Using M3D-C1.

Continuing his studies at the Eindhoven University of Technology, Mackenbach completed his PhD cum laude in November 2023 with a thesis titled Available Energy: A compass for navigating the nonlinear landscape of fusion plasma turbulence. Since 2024, he is a postdoctoral researcher at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL).

Discography

Albums

• Ralf (2010)
• Moving On (2011)
• Seventeen (2012)

References

References

1. (2023). "Available Energy: A compass for navigating the nonlinear landscape of fusion plasma turbulence". [[Eindhoven University of Technology]].
2. (November 23, 2009). "Netherlands first, Russia second at Junior Eurovision". [[Kyiv Post]].
3. "Ralf Mackenbach".
4. "Ralf Mackenbach".
5. (21 November 2009). "Nederland wint Junior Eurovisie Songfestival".
6. "Zo gaat het nu met Ralf Mackenback, die in 2009 Junior Eurovisiesongfestival won".
7. "Ralf - Click Clack".
8. (2 December 2022). "Junior Eurovision 2022: 11 Champions will perform in Yerevan!".
9. "Ralf - Ralf".
10. (20 March 2011). "Debuutalbum Ralf is Goud".
11. "Ken je 'm nog? Junior Songfestival-winnaar Ralf Mackenbach is nu… ingenieur!".
12. "Numerical modelling of mode penetration in cylindrical geometries using M3D-C1".
13. (9 October 2024). ""I am a strong believer in the collaborative nature of research"".