Born on a boat called
‘Freedom’ 
on Valentines Day – 1964

Born on a lake near Amsterdam
but raised in the woods at the German border.
Fed on Miles, Sco, Joni, Curtis M., Steely D. & Debussy.
Started off in photography, film, camera, screenwriting.
Moved from the Lowlands to London to Munich to Oxford
to NYC to Amsterdam to Tyrol and back, to live and learn.
Did the 88 odd jobs-on-the-side like waitressing,
driving, singing, surviving while traveling &
hearing many, many, many live bands……
like the first one, Frank Zappa in Rotterdam – 1980 
I was a dancing fool.

Writing P o e m s  &  L y r i c s  since I know how to hold a pen.
Attended lyric writing courses by Pat Pattison at
Berklee College of Music – Boston – USA

Worked at and participated in A r t s  M a n a g e m e n t
at the Amsterdam/Maastricht Summer University
Felix Meritis – Amsterdam

Amsterdam jazz & improvised music stage Bimhuis
Many years of driving countless international musicians from & to airports & train stations
in ramshackle vans and translated the Bimhuis program (Dutch to English) while waiting for their luggage.

Moved to Austria to join Saudades Tourneen,
the one-of-a-kind international booking agency,
looking after John Scofield, John Zorn, Joyce Moreno,
Dave Holland, Carla Bley and Bill Frisell, to name a few.
Moving back to the NL after 4 years, continuing
B o o k i n g   &   T o u r i n g  with Peter Erskine,
Nguyên Lê & Michel Benita.

W r i t i n g  lyrics for pianist/vocalist/composer Maria Markesini
with Bert vd Brink/Richard Bona/Ennio Morricone.
Collaborating with composer/pianist Michiel Borstlap
& the Metropole Orchestra for vocalists
Napoleon Murphy Brock (Frank Zappa) &
Edsilia Rombley & Trijntje Oosterhuis with Pat Metheny,
Fay Victor, Rigmor Gustafsson, Berenice van Leer (Kraak & Smaak),
Ernst Glerum, Marcel de Groot, Michel Benita, Tino Derado

L o g i s t i c   M a n a g e m e n t   &   P r o d u c t i o n
for various music festivals:
Jazz op het Dak, Flamenco Biennale, Concertgebouw/India Festival,
Wild Wild East, Concert at Sea, Turks/Nederlands
Festival DRU, Vrienden van Amstel Live

.

W r i t i n g   &   T r a n s l a t i n g  (D/E) text for websites
Bimhuis, North Sea Jazz Festival, National Geographic
and many others…

R o a d   M a n a g e m e n t
Europe – with Benny Wallace, Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin, Mark Feldman, Von Freeman,Baramgot,
Alessandra Leao, Svetlana Spajic,Gjermund Larsen, Shiyani Ncobo, Frank London& many others
for RASA (global), Saudades (jazz/impro), Flamenco Biennale, ECM and Bimhuis.

L y r i c s  for soundtrack French feature film
Un Soir au Club, composed by Michel Benita &
directed by Jean Achache.

Winner B e s t  S o n g  – Waiting –
Les Victoires de la Musique – 2010

Staff  l y r i c i s t  for
Bravo Montecarlo Music Publishing
1995 – 2005

Workshops – Coaching – Masterclasses
Since 2014

Music Conservatory ArtEZ
Pop Academy & MediaMusic – ArtEZ – Enschede – NL
Guest coach Rock Academy – Fontys – Tilburg – NL

L y r i c s   &   M u s i c a l   P o e t r y   &   S p o k e n   W o r d 

F o u n d e r  o f  FlatFest
Eindhoven – NL
1 building – 1 lobby – 15 floors – 12 apartments – 50 performances
pop – sing-song – jazz – theater – americana – soul – world – poetry
classical – Japanese tea ceremony – art rock – spoken word
chamber – choir –  electronic – sing/song jam room
Aftermovies
September 25th  – 2 0 1 6
September 24th – 2 0 1 7

F e s t i v a l   M a n a g e r  So What’s Next?
3-day Jazz & Beyond festival – Eindhoven – NL
2017 – 2018 – 2019 – 2020 – 2021 – 2022
Artist Program – Open Call – Professionals Program

Teacher / Mentor / Workshops / Masterclasses – Sound Out – 2019
Working With Words – Sołowosko – PL
Sound Out is a professional development & mentoring platform
for creative musicians by Arts & Parts

J u r y  M e m b e r

Boy Edgar Prize – Performing Arts Fund NL –  FPK
Secretary and writer jury report for winner Jasper Blom – 2019
Jury member for winner Ronald Snijders – 2022
Jury member for winner Monica Akihary – 2023
Jury member for winner …….  – 2024

C o – A u t h o r   N o v e l  Alfons Alsema Draaft Door
(Dutch) with co-author Johan Foliant – 2019 –
‘A bittersweet story about hope, humor and matters
of the heart in the harsh reality of living with an incurable illness’

J u r y   M e m b e r   inJazz
Showcase Festival & Conference – Rotterdam – NL
 Elevator jazz pitch – 2019
  Showcase program – 2020
H o s t / P r e s e n t e r
            Conference online edition – 2020
 Showcase program – 2023

© Maarten van Haaff

J u r y   M e m b e r 
Music Competition
International Lyceum Club Switzerland – 2 0 2 1

Mahogany Hall – Bern / CH
GYRE
Winner Lyceum Club Award – 2 0 2 2

F o u n d e r & P r o g r a m m e r
Tiny Festival A.F.Z.I.E.N!
Terborg – NL
2 0 2 1
2 0 2 2

B o a r d M e m b e r
Jazz Maastricht
2 0 2 1 – 2 0 2 4
A r t i s t i c A d v i s o r
2 0 2 4
__________________________________________
‘Jazz: the art of connecting’ Foundation Jazz Maastricht translates
the core characteristics of jazz within its activities.
Innovation, communication and improvisation.

Advisor Performing Arts Fund NL – FPK
The Hague – NL
Since 2 0 2 1
___________________________________________
The Performing Arts Fund NL is the most important culture fund for music,
music theatre, dance and theatre and provides support on behalf of the government
to all forms of the professional performing arts.

J u r y M e m b e r
Maastricht Jazz Awards – NL – 2021
__________________________________________________________
The Maastricht Jazz Awards offers young and up-and-coming talent
a platform to present themselves to a larger audience, an expert jury,
press and organisations from the field.

C o a c h / M e n t o r Pro Helvetia – 2 0 2 1
_____________________________________
Pro Helvetia fosters selected young Swiss jazz bands that have already gained trans-regional acclaim, have undertaken international concert tours, and whose goal it is to enhance their presence
in the international scene.

J u r y M e m b e r
Jazz Up! Europe! – Nancy – FR – 2 0 2 2

J u r y M e m b e r
E J N – 2 0 2 2

The Europe Jazz Network Award For Adventurous Programming – 2022

Winner: Le Guess Who? Utrecht – NL

EJN, the Europe-wide association of promoters, presenters and organisations who specialise in creative music, contemporary jazz and improvised music, awards an European promoter who exemplifies the values of EJN and skilfully succeeds to create visionary and fascinating musical programmes for the audience.

J u r y M e m b e r / P a n e l M e m b e r
F i r a B !
2 0 2 2 – 2 0 2 3
Showcase Festival & Conference – Mallorca – ES

J u r y M e m b e r J a z z I A m – 2 0 2 3
Taller de Músics
Showcase Festival & Conference – Barcelona – ES

C o a c h i n g – N o r d i c C u l t u r e P o i n t – Helsinki – FI
In collaboration with Arts & Parts – 2 0 2 2

C h a i r of the B o a r d
Since 2 0 1 4
Stichting Gezgin – Göksel Yilmaz Ensemble

C h a i r of the B o a r d
Tijn Wybenga’s Amsterdams Modern Orkest – AM.OK
Since 2 0 2 2

M o d e r a t o r Panel – Music Industry vs Artists
Israel Music Showcase Festival
Jerusalem / Tel Aviv – IL – 2022
Jury member – 2 0 2 3

M o d e r a t o r Panel – On Showcases –
A to JazZ Festival
Sofia – BUL – 2 0 2 3

J u r y M e m b e r
Belgian Jazz Meeting at Jazz Brugge
Brugge – BE – 2 0 2 3

J u r y M e m b e r
Jammin’ Juan
November – Antibes – FR –
2 0 2 3
2 0 2 4

P r e s e n t e r
Music Meeting
Nijmegen – NL – 2 0 2 3
Watch teaser here!

J u r y M e m b e r
Edisons Jazz/World – NL
2 0 2 3
2 0 2 4

P o d c a s t I n t e r v i e w
with Mike Del Ferro
Self Management for Musicians
2 0 2 3

P a n e l M e m b e r
Nova Scotia Music Week

2 0 2 3 – Y a r m o u t h – CA

C h a i r w o m a n o f t h e J u r y
Henriette Hustinxprijs
Zuyd University of Applied Sciences – Maastricht – NL – 2 0 2 3

J u r y M e m b e r
jazzahead! – Bremen – GER
Showcases Overseas – 2 0 2 2
Showcases Europe – 2 0 2 4

Expert & Main Jury Member
Host & Co-Chair of the Jury

Deutscher Jazz Preis
C o l o g n e – GER – 2 0 2 4

6 0 th B i r t h d a y at the
Artistic Exchange Platform
of the Europe Jazz Network
Cankarjev Dom – Ljubljana – SLO – 2 0 2 4

Chair of the Board
Since 2 0 2 4
Amsterdam Art Orchestra
led by Marike van Dijk
_______________________________________________

The Amsterdam Art Orchestra is a big band that features leading European players such as
Tineke Postma and Jasper Blom, as well as younger talents like Ella Zirina and Suzan Veneman.
The AmAO focuses on playing adventurous and new big band music, supporting young women in jazz.
A striking formation with a majority of female artists.

E d i t o r
Jazz In Europe Magazine
2 0 2 4

Co-founder of venue
Drakenhuis
Zelhem – NL – 2024