ERASMUS JAZZ PRIZE 25TH EDITION Auke de Vries

Auke de Vries is a drummer and composer, based in Rotterdam. With two musicians as parents, it was a very natural decision for Auke to start playing music himself.

He started out playing classical percus- sion at age 7, but his fascination with Queen and the Red Hot Chili Peppers made him switch to drums.

After playing in several rock bands during high school, he became intrigued by the wonderous world of jazz and decided this is what he wanted to do.

In 2017 Auke got accepted at Codarts University of the Arts and started studying with Hans van Oosterhout, Joost Patocka and Mark Schilders. Since then he won the second price with the Codarts Big Band in the International Big Band Contest Hoofddorp, performed with Shirma Rouse and the Codarts Big Band to celebrate 100 years of jazz in Rotterdam and played in venues like Sugarfactory, Paradiso and Melkweg.

Inspired by the wide range of music he listens to, Auke started composing music which involves all the aspects he likes about that range of music: the compositions and conceptuality of classical music, the improvisation and freedom of jazz and the sound and energy of rock. The music written by using these ingredients form the project he calls ‘Auke de Vries’ Melophobia’.

After a motivational setback caused by corona Auke regained inspiration by going on an Erasmus exchange to London. The new environment provided him with the space to focus on fundamental skills while also becoming more conscious of musi- cal personality. After this refreshing experience he moved back to Rotterdam and immediately continued his musical activities, leading to recording some newly written tunes with Yuri Rhodenborgh and Marijn van de Ven and getting admitted to the Jong Metropole 2021.

Listen to Auke’s music: https://soundcloud.com/31gma/sets/erasmus-jazz-price-2021-application Benjamin Stadler

Originating from the German Alps, trumpet player, singer and composer Benjamin Stadler started playing the trumpet at the age of 6. After early childhood memories of his father listening to the Haydn trumpet Concerto and recordings of Dizzy Gillespie, the first real contacts with playing Jazz took place in the high school’s Jazz Band in Munich.

In 2016 he started his Jazz trumpet studies at the Music and Arts University of Vienna. After being granted an Erasmus+ scholarship he went to Codarts Universi- ty in Rotterdam in 2019, where he is currently finishing his bachelor’s degree. With his band, Benjamin is now exploring new territories, also as a singer and composer. His songs tell stories about homesickness, family, love, about sweet melancholic thoughts of the past and finding a place in the present.

Influenced by musicians such as Esbjörn Svensson, Mathias Eick and Wolfgang Muthspiel, Benjamin’s music inspires you to lose yourself in your own thoughts. Sometimes with strong rhythmic figures and chord progressions, sometimes with simple, beautiful sounds but always guided by his distinct vibrato on the trumpet and from time to time accompanied by his voice. Benjamin has played with the Bavarian Youth Jazz Orchestra from 2015 to 2019 and is part of the Rotterdam-based groups ​Veles Mood​ and ​LØST ​who released their Debut EP in April 2020.

Listen to Benjamin’s music: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEMSJaChXz7RFWxinSuXMpA Daan Kluwer

Daan Kluwer got his first saxophone at the age of eight in 2006. Early on he was intrigued by funk music and improvisation.

However, it was only twelve years later that he got engaged in music in a more serious manner. In 2018, Daan, at the time studying Medicine, found himself having a lesson with saxophonist Simon Rigter. He introduced Daan to jazz improvisation and inspired him to pursue a career in music.

A year later Daan started studying music at the Codarts University of the Arts, where he has been mentored by Ben van den Dungen, Tineke Postma, Benjamin Herman and Nils van Haften. The last couple of years he has been active in both large and small ensembles, being part of the Jong Metropole in 2020 and leading and writing for the jazz ensemble Stoemp!

Listen to Daan’s music: https://soundcloud.com/daan-kluwer-490778032/chicken-or-falafel Emmie Styn

Music has always been very important for Emmie Styn (1996). It may sound as a cliche, but Emmie has been singing since she was able to talk. Her parents still have proof of this on film.

She has a musical family and it was a matter of time before she would fall in love with (making) music as well. “My dad played drums and introduced me to many artists and musical genres. I used to play on my mom’s saxophone in a local orchestra”.

After high school Emmie decided to study Pedagogy. It was then when she found out she wanted to study music at a university instead. “I felt this urge to not waste any more time not chasing my dream: becoming a professional singer. I wanted to write songs and inspire, help, move people”.

Emmie wants to write music that, most importantly, includes surprising, catchy melodies. “I am not satisfied if I can’t remember my melodies immediately”. Besides, the lyrics of her songs are meant to be interpreted in the listeners’ unique way. “I don’t want to determine a song’s meaning for my listeners. I personally want to listen to a song and develop my own emotions and story to it. However, of course my songs do contain a personal story”.

Listen to Emmie’s music:

https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/7DtiF Nohmi Quintet

Miran Noh is the leader of this band and NOHMI QUINTET was formed by her in 2019. Originally NOHMI trio members have met in Codarts Conservatorium in 2017 from different countries and have been playing for 2 years. Afterwards she invited two talented tenor saxophone and trumpet player.

The sound of this band has been influenced by contemporary, modern jazz artists such as Ben Wendel, Shai Maestro and impressionist classical artist such as Ravel and Prokofiev. You could explore the combination of jazz and classical aspects on the original sounds with colourful arrangement and layers with polyphonic lines. On the other hand, you will experience minimal materials as well through “Deja Vu”. One of compositions, “Snowflake For Ravel” is inspired by classical impressionism, she brought a small fragment from Ravel’s sonatina and designed a dreamy sound and rich layers for the arrangement.

Nohmi Quintet is:

Miran Noh - piano Patricia Mancheño - double bass Auke de Vries - drums Daniel Clason - trumpet Claudio Jr De Rosa - tenor saxophone

Listen to the Nohmi Quintet’ s music:

https://youtu.be/mOeCr9gk33Q Peter Somuah Peter Somuah is a gifted jazz trumpe- ter from Accra, Ghana. His warm and melancholic sound stands out, as well as the rhythmic prowess reflecting his upbringing surrounded by the music styles native to West Africa. At 24, he has already shared the stage with many local and international acts and tou- red in Africa, Asia and Europe. Among others, he has performed and recor- ded with Akwasi, Bridget Kearney and Kyekyeku. With his own Peter Somuah Group, he explores the boundaries between jazz and traditional Ghanaian music. His playing has influences from Roy Hargrove and Miles Davis, as well as a lot of groove.

Peter has taken his music to several countries outside Ghana. In 2015-2016, he spent over a year in China, touring with a Ghanaian band as part of a travelling circus. With a band called Ghanalogue Highlife, which accompanies France-based singer and guitarist Kyekyeku, Peter recorded two studio albums and performed in several places, including Morocco, Brussels (for the Afropolitan Festival), New Morning in Paris, and numerous cities in Spain. Peter also recorded a studio album and performed with Nii Obli and the Jazz Accra Quintet, most notably at the ‘Jazz à Ouaga’ festival in Burkina Faso and the Stanbic Jazz Festival in Accra.

Peter is now based in Rotterdam, where he is enrolled in a BA Jazz Trumpet at Codarts. Dutch artists he has worked with are Akwasi, Winne and Yung Nnelg, among others. Although he is mostly self-taught, along the way Peter has received masterclasses from Nicolas Genest and Teus Nobel. At Codarts, he is taught by Jan van Duikeren and Jarmo Hoogendijk.

Listen to Peter’s music: https://soundcloud.com/anton-de-bruin/sets/peter-somuah-global-music/s-LNudxwwReor Antares Flare

Antares Flare is an international band, formed by five young talented musicians who met at Codarts, Rotterdam, in 2018. The band play their own original compositions, mainly written by Piero Conte, combining the jazz tradition with modern sounds and rhythms from electronic music and traditional African music. Antares Flare started as a 4et in 2018, they played in diferent venues and festival in the Netherlands such as: International Music Meeting festival, Jazz in de Gracht, Dizzy Jazz Club (Rotterdam), Cafè Het Hijgend Hert, Lantaren Venster (Rotterdam) and many more. For the purpose of expanding the arrangements and to increase the sound quality of the band, at the end of 2019, they added another saxophone player to their line up and became a 5et. The artists who marked our music with their influence are: Christian Scott, Radiohead, Lionel Loueke, ADHD, Clever Austin, David Binney, Bayaka Pygmies, Jamie Isaac, Aaron Parks.

Line up: Piero Conte – guitar Dean Montanaro – bass Domen Cizej – drums Andrea Leone - saxophone Paul Van De Calseijde – alto sax

Listen to the music of Antares Flare: https://soundcloud.com/search?q=antares%20flare Sophie Koole

Sophia Zelan (1998) is a dutch singer based in Rotterdam. Sophia has been singing ever since. Even though she didn’t grow up in a musical household, singing has always been her favorite thing to do. With Beyonce and Rihanna as idols at an early age, RnB runs through her veins.

Sophia wrote her first song in primary school. After a couple of years of singing lessons, her vocal teacher encouraged her to audition for a a conservatory. Sophia got accepted at Codarts, the conservatory of Rotterdam. She started out at the pop department, but switched to jazz after one and a half year. “I wanted to learn more and broaden myself musically. I’ve always been intere- sted in jazz and switching from the pop to the jazz department has been one of the best decisions of my life. There I learned what I needed in order to find who I am and want to be as an artist. I am glad they saw my potential at the audition for the jazz department.”

With her powerful, warm and low voice she sings soulful and freely over the songs she composes. “The songs I write are mostly literally about something that made an impact in my personal life. This is the only way I know how to write something real, something that matters and something that is relatable to others. There is no- thing between me and my voice when I am singing. I am the messenger of the lyrics and my story is my power.”

Listen to Sophie’s music: https://soundcloud.com/sophie-koole/do-not-stand-at-my-grave-and/s-uB4Ik Become a friend of Codarts

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