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

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 live bands……

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

Spent many years working for renowned 
Amsterdam jazz & improvised music stage Bimhuis
Drove countless musicians from & to airports & train stations in ramshackle vans
and translated the Bimhuis program (Dutch to English)

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  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

W o r k s h o p s   L y r i c   W r i t i n g
C o a c h i n g   /   M a s t e r c l a s s e s 

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

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
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 – London

J u r y  M e m b e r

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

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
2019 – elevator jazz pitch
  2020 – showcase program
H o s t
              2020 – conference online edition
2023 – showcase program

© Maarten van Haaff

J u r y   M e m b e r 
Music Competition
International Lyceum Club Switzerland – 2021 –

Mahogany Hall – Bern / CH
GYRE
Winner Lyceum Club Award – 2022

B o a r d M e m b e r
Jazz Maastricht

Since 2021
__________________________________________
‘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 January 2021
___________________________________________
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 2021 – NL
__________________________________________________________
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! – 2 0 2 2
Nancy – FR

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 !
2022 / 2023
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 Musics
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 – October – 2022

C h a i r w o m a n of the B o a r d – Tijn Wybenga’s Amsterdams Modern Orkest – AM.OK
Since 2022

M o d e r a t o r Panel – Music Industry vs Artists –
Israel Music Showcase Festival
November – 2022 – Jerusalem / Tel Aviv – IL

M o d e r a t o r Panel – On Showcases –
A to JazZ Festival
July – 2023 – Sofia / BUL

J u r y M e m b e r
Belgian Jazz Meeting at Jazz Brugge
November – 2023 – Brugge / BE

J u r y M e m b e r
Jammin’ Juan
November – 2023 – Antibes / FR

H o s t
Music Meeting
May – 2023 – Nijmegen / NL
Watch teaser here!