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The Rotterdam Jazz Project is a student orchestra, specialising in playing jazz and improvised music. They work in a project-oriented way, which means that every 12 weeks a new leader conducts the orchestra. The past few years some notorious musicians headlined the band. To mention some names: Jan Lourens Hartong (Nueva Manteca), Rolf Delfos (Houdini's), Theo Hoogstins (composer), etc. We'll be startig a project with renowned Sean Bergin, and the theme will be South African Kwela music. With Sean originating from Durban, SA he's the person to teach the orchestra the intricacies of this music. Sean was a leader before at the RJP two years ago, then digging into the Dutch music of the Seventies, playing Misha Mengelberg, Theo Loevendie etc.
The Rotterdam Jazz Project originates from the Workshoporkest Rotterdam, a students orchestra specialising in jazz and improvised music. At this moment the orchestra has 17 members playing piano, bass, drums, guitar, trumpets, saxophones, trombones and clarinet and vocal. The Workshoporkest Rotterdam has been conducted for years by Ruud Bergamin. At the end of ’95 they chose for a different approach and a different name: Rotterdam Jazz Project. The orchestra now works in 10 week projects, each project with another conductor. Some conductors from the past are Frans Vermeersen, Ruud Bergamin, John Tchicai, Arend Niks, Tjitse Vogel and Paul Stocker.In 1997, Theo Hoogstins also did a project with
this orchestra, with concerts in a.o. O-42 in Nijmegen, DJS in Dordrecht and in the Doelen
café, Rotterdam. Because of his inspiring contribution, he was invited for another
project in 1998. The "Fonds voor de Scheppende Toonkunst" awarded him with a
composition assignment for the orchestra. He wrote the composition "Victory Boogie
Woogie", inspired on the painting by Piet Mondriaan. |
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Copyright Han Geerligs. All images and files copyrighted
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