{{Short description|Dutch former child singer (born 1995)}} {{Infobox person | name = Ralf Mackenbach | image = Ralf Mackenbach, Universiteit van Nederland, 2022 (cropped).png | caption = Mackenbach in 2022 | birth_name = Ralf Johannes Josephus Mackenbach | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1995|10|4}} | birth_place = [[Eindhoven]], Netherlands | occupation = {{hlist|Singer|dancer|actor|plasma physicist}} | module = {{Infobox musical artist |embed=yes | instruments = {{hlist|Vocals|piano|drums}} | genre = [[Pop music]] | years_active = 2005–present }} | module2 = {{Infobox scientist |embed=yes | fields = [[Applied physics]] | workplaces = {{ubl|[[Eindhoven University of Technology]] (PhD)|[[École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne|EPFL]] (postdoc)}} }} }}
'''Ralf Johannes Josephus Mackenbach'''<ref name="thesis">{{cite thesis |last1=Mackenbach |first1=R. J. J. |year=2023 |title=Available Energy: A compass for navigating the nonlinear landscape of fusion plasma turbulence |url=https://pure.tue.nl/ws/portalfiles/portal/309379925/20231129_Mackenbach_hf.pdf |degree=PhD |publisher=[[Eindhoven University of Technology]] |access-date=10 January 2026}}</ref> (born 4 October 1995) is a Dutch [[Plasma physics|plasma physicist]], artist and former child singer, best known for winning the [[Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2009]] with the song "[[Click Clack]]".<ref>{{cite news |date=November 23, 2009 |title=Netherlands first, Russia second at Junior Eurovision |work=[[Kyiv Post]] |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/news/guide/guidenews/detail/53375/ |access-date=10 May 2011}}</ref> He is the first and, to date, only Dutch winner of the contest.
==Early life== Mackenbach was born in [[Eindhoven]],<ref name="thesis"/> and grew up in [[Best, Netherlands|Best]], [[North Brabant]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Ralf Mackenbach |url=https://www.itb-entertainment.com/ralf-mackenbach/ |website=ITB Entertainment Group |access-date=10 January 2026 |language=nl-NL}}</ref> As a child, he starred in the musicals ''[[Tarzan (musical)|Tarzan]]'' and ''[[Beauty and the Beast (musical)|Beauty and the Beast]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ralf Mackenbach |url=https://theaterencyclopedie.nl/wiki/Ralf_Mackenbach |website=Theaterencyclopedie |access-date=16 September 2020}}</ref> He attended Amsterdam's dancing academy Lucia Marthas, and studied acting at Centrum voor de Kunsten Eindhoven (CKE) in Eindhoven.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Brandt |first1=Monique |title=Nederland wint Junior Eurovisie Songfestival |url=https://www.parool.nl/nieuws/nederland-wint-junior-eurovisie-songfestival~bb8441d8/ |website=[[Het Parool]] |access-date=16 September 2020 |date=21 November 2009}}</ref>
==Career== ===Musical career=== In 2009, at the age of thirteen, Mackenbach won the 2009 edition of ''[[Junior Songfestival]]'' with the song "[[Click Clack]]".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Findhammer-Schut |first1=Martine |title=Zo gaat het nu met Ralf Mackenback, die in 2009 Junior Eurovisiesongfestival won |url=https://www.linda.nl/lief-en-leed/kindster/zo-gaat-nu-ralf-mackenbach-2009-junior-eurovisiesongfestival-won/ |access-date=16 September 2020 |archive-date=22 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210822150043/https://www.linda.nl/lief-en-leed/kindster/zo-gaat-nu-ralf-mackenbach-2009-junior-eurovisiesongfestival-won/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Ralf - Click Clack |url=https://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Ralf&titel=Click+Clack&cat=s |website=DutchCharts.nl |access-date=16 September 2020}}</ref> Subsequently, he appeared in the {{Escyr|2010|J}}, {{Escyr|2012|J}} and {{Escyr|2022|J}} contests as part of an interval act.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 December 2022 |title=Junior Eurovision 2022: 11 Champions will perform in Yerevan! |url=https://junioreurovision.tv/story/junior-eurovision-2022-11-champions-will-perform-yerevan |access-date=11 December 2022 |website=junioreurovision.tv |language=en}}</ref>
[[File:Ralf Mackenbach JESC 2010 (cropped).JPG|thumb|150px|Mackenbach at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2010 in Minsk]] Mackenbach's debut album ''Ralf'' achieved a top 10 spot in the Dutch album charts and entered the Flemish album charts at number 59.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ralf - Ralf |url=https://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Ralf&titel=Ralf&cat=a |website=DutchCharts.nl |access-date=16 September 2020}}</ref> In March 2011, it achieved gold status with over 25,000 sales.<ref>{{cite web |title=Debuutalbum Ralf is Goud |url=https://www.shownieuws.nl/showflits/2011/debuutalbum-ralf-is-goud/ |website=Shownieuws |access-date=16 September 2020 |date=20 March 2011}}</ref>
In 2011 and 2012, Mackenbach participated in the celebrity contest shows {{Lang|nl|[[Sterren dansen op het ijs]]}} and {{Lang|nl|[[Sterren Springen Op Zaterdag|Sterren springen op zaterdag]]}}. He was also a judge on the 2011 edition of the Dutch talent show ''[[My Name is... (TV program)|My Name Is…]]''. In 2019, he appeared as a judge on the Dutch adaptation of ''[[All Together Now (franchise)|All Together Now]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Heerkens |first1=Robin |title=Ken je 'm nog? Junior Songfestival-winnaar Ralf Mackenbach is nu… ingenieur! |url=https://www.superguide.nl/nieuws/ken-je-m-nog-junior-songfestival-winnaar-ralf-mackenbach-is-nu-ingenieur-tv |website=Veronica Superguide |access-date=16 September 2020}}</ref>
===Academic career=== After graduating secondary school with a [[Voorbereidend wetenschappelijk onderwijs|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''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mackenbach |first1=R.J.J. |title=Numerical modelling of mode penetration in cylindrical geometries using M3D-C1 |url=https://research.tue.nl/nl/studentTheses/numerical-modelling-of-mode-penetration-in-cylindrical-geometries |website=TU/e |access-date=16 September 2020}}</ref>
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''.<ref name="thesis"/> Since 2024, he is a postdoctoral researcher at the [[École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne]] (EPFL).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Barth |first1=Nadia |title="I am a strong believer in the collaborative nature of research" |url=https://actu.epfl.ch/news/i-am-a-strong-believer-in-the-collaborative-nature/ |website=EPFL |access-date=10 January 2026 |language=en |date=9 October 2024}}</ref>
== Discography == ===Albums=== * ''Ralf'' (2010) * ''Moving On'' (2011) * ''Seventeen'' (2012)
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230830122608/https://www.ralfmackenbach.nl/ |date=30 August 2023 |title=Official website}} *{{Commons category inline}}
{{s-start}} {{s-ach}} {{succession box | before=Marissa<br />with "1 dag" | title=[[Netherlands in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest]] | years=[[Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2009|2009]] | after=Senna and Anna<br />with "My Family" }} {{succession box |before = {{flagicon|Georgia}} [[Bzikebi]]<br />with "[[Bzz..]]" |title = [[Junior Eurovision Song Contest#Winning entries|Winner of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest]] |years = [[Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2009|2009]] |after = {{flagicon|Armenia}} [[Vladimir Arzumanyan]]<br />with "[[Mama (Vladimir Arzumanyan song)|Mama]]" }} {{s-end}}
{{List of Junior Eurovision Song Contest winners}} {{Netherlands in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest|state=autocollapse}} {{Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2009|state=autocollapse}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mackenbach, Ralf}} [[Category:1995 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:21st-century Dutch physicists]] [[Category:21st-century Dutch singers]] [[Category:Academic staff of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne]] [[Category:Academic staff of the Eindhoven University of Technology]] [[Category:Dutch child singers]] [[Category:Dutch expatriates in Switzerland]] [[Category:Dutch male dancers]] [[Category:Dutch dancers]] [[Category:Dutch male musical theatre actors]] [[Category:Dutch nuclear physicists]] [[Category:Dutch people of Austrian descent]] [[Category:Dutch people of German descent]] [[Category:Dutch pop singers]] [[Category:Dutch male singer-songwriters]] [[Category:Dutch singer-songwriters]] [[Category:Eindhoven University of Technology alumni]] [[Category:Junior Eurovision Song Contest winners]] [[Category:Musicians from Eindhoven]] [[Category:People from Best, Netherlands]] [[Category:Tap dancers]]