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for saxophonist jasper staps and pianist rembrandt frerichs, jazz is all about beauty and telling a musical story. after twenty-five years of being friends, they finally joined forces for a first collaborative album, the first at last. through careful selection of their instruments, they manage to approach the sound of vintage jazz from the fifties and sixties. at the same time the group sounds contemporary, in part thanks to young players matheus nicolaiewsky on double bass and mitchell damen on drums. alongside original compositions, the album contains songs by the likes of duke ellington & billy strayhorn, cole porter, and jerome kern, alongside ‘time and again’, an instrumental version of a dutch classic by willeke alberti. ‘they have to have warmth, a strong melody, and room for musical conversation’, says jasper staps about the tracks. he sees himself as a true melody player, who aims to tell a story and draw listeners in. rembrandt is known for his experimental nature, always looking for a new sound. they met at the royal conservatoire the hague. jasper developed a career as an arranger, conductor and sideman in jazz orchestras, while rembrandt followed his curiosity and performed all over the world, in very different genres.

pianist, composer and music pioneer loek dikker celebrates his eightieth birthday with an ode to his native amsterdam. together with his waterland sextet he will perform a rich variety of music, selected from an oeuvre spanning 65 years. loeuk dikker became a jazz pianist at a young age, accompanying legends such as cannonball adderley, oliver nelson and don byas. but he also wrote for classical orchestras, music theatre, modern dance and film. let yourself be surprised by the special performances and the mystery guests. loek dikker pioneered in areas previously unknown to dutch pianists and composers. such as the public theater in new york or the film industry in hollywood. he worked in berlin, rome and paris, but he never truly left amsterdam. now he celebrates his birthday overlooking the city, with an ensemble of players who also made dutch jazz history: saxophonists leo van oostrom and jan menu, trombonist louk boudesteijn, double bassist luciën matheeuwsen and percussionist pierre courbois. and we can already reveal one special guest: friedmar hitzer op violin and violophone. during this concert the loek dikker jazz podium prize will be awarded to an important jazz promotor or concert organiser.

the injazz festival gives room to bands that transcend boundaries. this year no less than four groups will perform, featuring ambitious jazz musicians from the netherlands. together they will broaden their horizons and tread uncharted territory. from classical to punk, from afghan to ethiopian, and from theatre to music made for commercials: you can expect it all. featuring ponga, the trio giuseppe doronzo | andy moor | frank rosaly, mark lotz ‘freshta’ and televizyon. ponga viola, guitars, and percussion: this unusual combination is the starting point for ponga. this new trio conveys a sense that anything is possible. free improvisation lies at the heart of their music, and classical music is a part of ponga’s rich background as well, complemented by a theatrical flair. viola player yanna pelser also lends her vocals to the ensemble. her fellow bandmates timon koomen and remco menting have previously performed on our stage in the trio kapok. yanna pelser viola/vocals remco menting drums/percussion, timon koomen guitar giuseppe doronzo | andy moor | frank rosaly this band wants to provide a pathway to a trance-like state through meditative soundscapes, inspired by ancient cultures from places like ethiopia, lesotho, and persia. the group fuses punk energy with unusual instruments, like the iranian bagpipe. the members have diverse backgrounds: andy moor is a member of the groundbreaking dutch band the ex, frank rosaly comes from chicago’s avant-jazz scene, and giuseppe doronzo is from the contemporary jazz and world music scene. giuseppe doronzo baritone sax, iranian bagpipe, andy moor electric guitar, frank rosaly drums, percussion mark lotz ‘freshta’ with his new band, mark lotz pays tribute to the legacy of freshta kohistani. she was an afghan advocate for women’s rights and democracy who was tragically killed by the taliban at age 29 in 2020. despite its serious subject, freshta sounds hopeful. the music is dedicated to honoring the memories of female activists in asia and africa. the project and the eponymous album originated as a composition assignment for bumastemra and the vnjj. mark alban lotz flutes, claudio puntin clarinet/bass clarinet, jörg brinkmann cello, jeroen van vliet piano, dirk-peter kölsch drums televizyon think television commercials from the 1980s and you will recognize televizyon's sound. or actually the other way around: televizyon recreates the sound of commercials in their music to give the audience a sense of recognition. with vocalist and multi-instrumentalist sanem kalfa as the band leader and composer, televizyon takes you on a journey along different genres, like pop and electronic music, always from the perspective of an improviser. sanem kalfa voice/electronics, marta warelis electric organ/synthesizer, ingebrigt håker flaten double bass, sun-mi hong drums   hosted by amber roner as a freelance presenter and multimedia journalist, amber roner has been providing a platform for stories for almost 20 years. she does this with great energy as a host, interviewer and program maker for events, podcasts, tv and radio shows. in the past, among others for esns, pakhuis de zwijger, sublime and omroep zwart. now you might know her voice from the ‘brood en spelen’ podcast by grap amsterdam, in which she invites guests to talk about their work and important themes in the music industry. or otherwise from the 'behind the track' podcast by buma music in motion, in which she talks with mediamusic composers about their work. besides music, the main topics amber likes to talk about are: sports, talent development, art and culture, mental health, sustainability, diversity and inclusion.

we close our jam sessions/rough diamonds concerts with a bang! the last jam session will be opened by an all-star band including melissa aldana, sara serpa, and many more renowned jazz musicians. entrance is free.

due to health concerns, bart van lier is unable to perform. his replacement is belgian trombonist marc godfoid, who also played in the herbolzheimer big band for many years. peter herbolzheimer led an infamous big band in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. his singular work as a composer and arranger has a style of its own and a lot of energy. true live music. the west coast big band pays tribute to peter herbolzheimer together with three soloists from the original band, for an evening full of unadulterated big band jazz. peter herbolzheimer was a german-romanian trombonist who became known as a band leader, composer and arranger. he passed away in 2010. his orchestras also featured dutch musicians, including major players such as ferdinand povel, peter tiehuis and ack van rooyen. for this special tribute, three soloists from the original big band will make their appearance: marc godfoid on trombone, john ruocco on tenor sax and clarinet, and andy haderer on trumpet.

the conservatory of amsterdam is full of young, talented musicians with a drive to create and inspire. from may 21 till the end of june, every tuesday our stage will be the playground of these rough diamonds. every edition two promising bands will perform, entry is free. maarten combrink quintet in a world where high frequencies dominate, the maarten combrink quintet dives right into the low vibrations, in the form of the unusual combination of trombone and bass clarinet. the quintet plays compositions by all band members, with a unique role for these instruments, which can vary enormously in sound, register and timbre. micah graves quintet the micah graves quintet offers a refreshing sound in the contemporary jazz scene. drawing from his musical background (gospel, funk, r&b, folk and jazz), graves writes compositions with personal lyrics. the band starts from a jazz background with plenty of room for the individual strengths of the band members.

dream away with the lyrical, cinematic playing of two young promising dutch bands in this double concert: sjoerd van eijck's oak and willem abelen's flux. eight is the second album by pianist and composer sjoerd van eijck's band. the album is the result of a search for a new sound, inspired by ennio morricone's music from the film the hateful eight and french composer olivier messiaen. with eight, the pianist demonstrates the ability to create soundscapes that evoke emotions and tell stories. "sophisticated compositions are performed in breathtakingly intimate ways by oak. intense depth, simplicity, honesty".  (storm bakker, jazzism) flux is the debut album of saxophonist and composer willem abelen. he sees the record as a reflection on current events, the chaotic times we live in today. cinematic jazz, where each song tells a story while simultaneously giving the musicians the freedom to add their own chapter. the subtle addition of effect pedals to saxophone, guitar and drums add a new richness to the band sound, which can vary from intimate to total chaos at any second. "superb, soulful jazz with a good sense of both detail and adventure." (haarlems dagblad)

when petros klampanis is on stage, he throws his whole being into his performance, playing solos and accompaniments or using his double bass as a percussion instrument. influences from his native greece are prominently featured on his recent album tora collective (tora = now). on this recording he plays contemporary versions of greek folk songs, together with well-known musicians from new york. in his original compositions he also sheds new light on the tradition. the oud, or arabic lute, plays an important part in the band led by klampanis. here it is played by young greek musician thomas meleteas. the four-piece band also stars pianist and ‘ecm recording artst’ kristjan randalu, as well as drummer ziv ravitz, who previously played on our stage with lee konitz, linda may han oh and shai maestro, among others. ‘petros klampanis is a musician who has always spoken from the heart. there is a clear connection between his instrument, mind and fingers.’ (downbeat).

the north sea string quartet sheds new light on the trusted string quartet format. through their outspoken improvisations, innovative playing styles and idiosyncratic compositions, these four players take inspiration from jazz, world, contemporary classical and electronic (dance) music, among others. in doing so, they build on a young tradition that began with the american turtle island quartet in 1985. the urge to focus on the quartet’s own talents results in the release of their debut album splunge, full of sparkling compositions and lively improvisations. the quartet has been active internationally for many years, notably in collaborations with artists such as trio da kali, roland satterwhite, lilian vieira, javier infante and samora pinderhughes. it has played at major festivals such as north sea jazz, salzburg jazz & the city and canarias jazz & más.

five years ago vitor araújo, once a child prodigy and the regular musical collaborator of associate artist christiane jatahy, was working diligently on his magnum opus levaguiã terê. this second album came out of the research into polyrhythmics heard during religious rituals of candomblé and umbanda, which had come to brazil with the countless slave ships from africa. however araújo places these in a more symphonic context. the album’s music will now be played live by araújo and his band, with two candomblé percussionists and string players of the metropole orchestra. swirling wistfully at times, measuredly minimal or boisterously tribal at others, but almost always driven by the incessant pulse of percussion, araújo’s immersive rhythms cover a broad musical spectrum – just like araújo himself, for that matter. the super talent was heralded as a revelation of brazilian composed music and takes inspiration from sources ranging from brazilian composer heitor villa-lobos, jazz and samba heroes like chico buarque and tom jobim to composer/pianist ryuichi sakamoto and radiohead.

the conservatory of amsterdam is full of young, talented musicians with a drive to create and inspire. from may 21 till the end of june, every tuesday our stage will be the playground of these rough diamonds. every edition two promising bands will perform, entry is free. federica lorusso quintet pianist/vocalist federica lorusso sees her project as a search for new soundscapes, through lyrical vocals and instrumental excursions. the quintet's dynamic interplay creates a rich pallette of sounds, inviting you to listen to each other, yourself, nature, and the child within, despite all the chaos of the hectic times we live in. ton felices electric quartet ton felices electronic quartet describes new landscapes and feelings of the contemporary world with groovy, sinuous and futuristic music full of jazz and electronic influences. a true journey around that sweet spot where electronics and human decisions merge.  

lucy woodward made her striking debut on our stage together with star guitarist charlie hunter. now the singer is back with perhaps her most personal album yet, stories from the dust. here she sings about women, the ones she grew up with, the fiercely independent and unconventional women who raised her, and those she merely observed from afar. in poignant, heartfelt songs that take inspiration from blues, flamenco and the female voices from sergio mendes & brasil ’66. and with nina simone and bill withers as shining examples. born in london and raised in new york and the netherlands, lucy woodward emerged out of a musical household. she recorded various solo albums, wrote pop hits and sang with snarky puppy, for example on the grammy-winning album family dinner vol. 1. she also collaborated with rod stewart, chaka khan and carole king. she wrote stories from the dust in downtown l.a. with her co-producer david garza, who previously worked with fiona apple and gaby moreno. the album features  tim lefebvre and larry goldings, among others. in her dutch band, lucy plays with guitarist jelle roozenburg, bassist udo pannekeet and drummer niek de bruijn.

today we celebrate the the birthdays and the enduring legacies of two titans of contemporary music: misha mengelberg (5 june 1935 – 3 march 2017) and louis andriessen (6 june 1939 – 1 july 2021). both were respected composers and improvisers whose contributions have shaped not just the dutch soundscape but echoed across the world. they were also good mates and occasional collaborators. expect an evening of innovation and friendship, featuring an array of performances by kindred spirits. bask in the surprising sounds of what’s been written and what’s plucked from the air, and relive musical memories in the ever-changing now. featuring, among others, the mighty icp orchestra with han bennink, guus janssen and michael moore, plus gerard bouwhuis, claron mcfadden, kluster5, tomoko mukaiyama, joanna macgregor, felicity provan, oscar jan hoogland, fie schouten, heleen hulst and benjamin herman. also, discover what’s been going on behind the scenes with the launch of the louis andriessen platform, a brilliant interactive source of information about this iconic composer.

the conservatory of amsterdam is full of young, talented musicians with a drive to create and inspire. from may 21 till the end of june, every tuesday our stage will be the playground of these rough diamonds. every edition two promising bands will perform, entry is free. fi:lds fi:lds is the quintet of drummer sebastien delacombaz. the name refers to the collective field of consciousness created by the musician during a performance. delicate melodies, intricate rhythms and harmonic structures characterise the music of  this dynamic ensemble. alice leggett & chaerin im *orchestra* the alice legget & chaerin im *orchestra* is the joint project of saxophonist alice legget and pianist chaerin im. they composed music which is a mix of groove, free improvisation and focused ensemble playing.

for just under a decade, south african singer tutu puoane walked around with the poetry collection in a ribbon of rhythm by her compatriot lebogang mashile under her arm. her poems made a deep impression on her, and every time she read them, she heard music. together with belgian pianist ewout pierreux, her partner in life and music, she wrote a slew of new songs based on some of her favorites from mashile’s collection. the result is an original and glowing repertoire, sounding like her own mix of singer-songwriting, jazz and soul. this music forms the basis for her new album "wrapped in rhythm”, produced by legendary american musician larry klein, who previously collaborated with joni mitchell, tracy chapman, thomas dybdahl,and  herbie hancock, among others. the open and loose structures of the repertoire allow for a free, improvised and communicative approach to the music when performed live, which is the ideal context for puoane and her belgian-dutch band.