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on the intergalactic nights you can expect short performances in all kinds of shapes and sizes. in this edition we meet musicians who seek interaction with electronic and mechanical tools. they hail from all over the world, from tapei to texas. the solo and duo performances will be strung together by bar pianist chaerin im. joy guidry joy guidry is a bassoonist, versatile improviser, performance artist, and composer of experimental, daring new works that embody a deep love of storytelling. joy’s music channels her inner child in honor of their ancestors and predecessors. she performed at renowned stages and festivals, as well as art museums and biennales. she has been commissioned by the jack quartet, among others. pierre bastien & bruno ferro xavier da silva pierre bastien builds his own machineries at the cross between music and visual art, blending live trumpet sounds with screen projections and mechanical sound sculptures in a very poetic way. he will perform with visual artist and bass guitarist bruno ferro xavier da silva, who plays rhythmically as well as melodically, using a battery of effects to create the most bizarre sounds. ping-en hung in her musical endeavors, ping-en hung aims to connect with people profoundly, touching the inner recesses of their emotions. chinese philosophy holds a special place in her heart and she draws inspiration from film and dance. in her solo performances she fuses bass guitar and electronics, alternating improvisations with compositions and soundscapes. ping-en hung is from taipei and is currently living in amsterdam. chaerin im in a relatively short time, south-korean pianist chaerin im has earned her place in dutch jazz, collaborating with the likes of ben van gelder, reinier baas, ernst reijseger and sun-mi hong. as a band leader she won the keep an eye international jazz award in 2024 and was selected shortly thereafter as a young artist of the year by dutch newspaper nrc.

how does the word "mysterious" sound? you might find the answer in the traditional, ritualistic throat singing of huun-huur-tu. these musicians, hailing from the central asian land of tuva, create an enthralling sound rich in undertones and overtones. by using their unique throat-singing technique, they can produce both a low note (the drone) and its overtones simultaneously, effectively singing two or even three notes at once. what is no longer a mystery, however, is the worldwide success of the quartet. they quickly became an established name in the international world music scene, thanks to their modern presentation of traditional throat singing. in recent years, the ensemble has toured extensively, performing on stage up to 200 times a year.

since the 1960s, barry altschul has been active in both the avant-garde and mainstream of new york jazz—he made name as a drummer with paul bley and anthony braxton, but he also played with art pepper and lee konitz. his trio 3dom factor proves that after more than a century, american jazz can still sound energetic, open-minded and exciting. alongside original compositions, the repertoire includes free interpretations of standards. special guest is an absolute pioneer of the european jazz avant-garde, alexander von schlippenbach. setting the tone is tenor saxophonist jon irabagon, who won the thelonious monk saxophone competition at a younger age and previously performed on our stage with dave douglas and rudy royston. double bassist joe fonda has a shared history with altschul, for example, playing a concert here in the fab trio with violinist billy bang. the piano playing of alexander von schlippenbach combines influences from modern jazz such as thelonious monk with principles from the european classical avant-garde.

saxophonist otis sandsjö will replace john dikeman tonight in kuhn fu. young and experienced players from improvised music will encounter each other for three days at international jazz platform amsterdam. on the last evening, the participants will join forces for a concert on our stage, where they will form three new bands. then the room will be taken over by kuhn fu, a spectacular band from berlin mixing psychedelic rock and jazz while leaning towards cabaret, surf, metal, zappa and monty python. the unknown talents will be introduced on stage by three european music greats, vocalist greetje bijma, drummer gard nilssen and saxophonist otis sandsjö. after the break, guitarist christian kühn will appear with his red telecaster and richly varied compositions. in his band kuhn fu we see familiar names alongside rising stars of european improvised music: frank gratkowski, otis sandjö, ziv taubenfeld, sofia salvo, esat ekincioglu and george hadow.  

young and experienced players from improvised music will encounter each other for three days at international jazz platform amsterdam. wrapping up the second day on our stage will be a true all-star group, known for their sensational interplay on sax, bass and drums with samples, electronics and turntables. Økse means ‘axe’ in danish and refers not only to one of humankind’s oldest tools, but also to the force and energy that connects us. Økse collaborated with various hip-hop artists on the eponymous album that appeared on backwoodz studioz last year, ‘a blast of a debut record somewhere in between nordic and haitian vodou symbolism’ (gonzo circus). all four members have previously performed on our stage: danish saxophonist mette rasmussen and swedish bassist petter eldh with their own formations, haitian turntablist val jeanty with kris davis and new york-based drummer savannah harris with or bareket.

young and experienced players from improvised music will encounter each other at international jazz platform, which will take place during three days at the bimhuis. of vital importance during this event will be the three mentors, who will lead a session for the participants on the opening night. greetje bijma is a true legend who made an impact on dutch free jazz with her voice. drummer gard nilssen is one of the spearheads of the scandinavian underground. and saxophonist otis sandsjö breaks open jazz with influences from hip-hop and electronica. international jazz platform is a combination of a festival with ground-breaking concerts and  a conference with workshops. young musicians and professionals will share experiences and support each other, both during formal sessions and informal meetings. during this special edition we’re joining forces with the better live project and we’ll focus on sustainability in the live music sector.

tuesday night means it is time for a new tuesday jam! still led by saxophonist and winner of the boy edgar prize 2019 jasper blom, tuesday jam is the place where musicians of all ages and levels meet and inspire each other. with the celebrated jazz department of the conservatory of amsterdam only a couple of hundred meters away from our bimhuis, there is no lack of impressive talent on stage at anytime. add some spontanious visits of world-class musicians like esperanza spalding, seamus blake and dick oatts, and you got the perfect mix. in short, this is the session where every jazzmusician and jazzlover should be. entrance is free, reservations are not necessary. no reservations needed.

a life dedicated to music: this is why john engels still has flexibility on the drums and an intuitive feel for what every song needs. the legendary player celebrates his 90th birthday with one continuous concert full of festive surprises. john engels has been known for decades as one of the most swinging jazz drummers in the netherlands. he shared the stage with chet baker, stan getz, ray brown, hank jones, and many others. for this birthday concert he will form a trio together with trumpeter jan van duikeren and double bassist tobias nijboer with special guests, such as vocalist francien van tuinen and pianist juraj stanik. ‘he’s modest and self-willed at the same time. a creator of music. he continuously reacts to the other players. with the energy and reflexes of a young lion. still, john engels makes others sound good, while sounding great himself at the same time’ (de volkskrant).

fearless five is the latest project from trumpet legend enrico rava, an outstanding quintet that combines rava's vast experience with the young, creative energy of a new generation of top musicians. besides rava, fearless five consists of matteo paggi on trombone, francesco ponticelli on double bass, drummer/vocalist evita polidoro, and guitarist francesco diodati. each of them is a distinctive player who is given ample space by rava to express their creative voice. the result is a quintet that excels in balancing freedom and interplay, and continues to captivate. master trumpeter enrico rava has been striving since the 1960s to find equilibrium between melody and abstraction, between tradition and avant-garde, and between european and american influences. the brass player from turin performed on historic albums such as steve lacy's the forest and the zoo, carla bley's escalator over the hill, and manfred schoof's european echoes, and continues to reinvent himself in formations with the new generation of top musicians.

nduduzo makhatini grew up on the east coast of south africa. his grandmother was a healer who used songs and music, much like the zulu warriors who came from the same area. the piano entered his life through his mother. in his spirited playing, he links ritual music with jazz and gospel, in the tradition of south african jazz legends such as bheki mseleku, moses molelekwa and abdullah ibrahim. outside of south africa, nduduzo makhathini made his breakthrough with his first album for the prestigious blue note label, modes of communication: letters from the underworlds, which earned a place in many end of the year ‘best of’-lists. last summer his third album on blue note appeared, unomkhubulwane, a three part suite dedicated to the eponymous zulu goddess. now he will perform in the same line-up as on the album, with zwelakhe bell le pere on double bass and francisco mela on drums.

tuesday night means it is time for a new tuesday jam! still led by saxophonist and winner of the boy edgar prize 2019 jasper blom, tuesday jam is the place where musicians of all ages and levels meet and inspire each other. with the celebrated jazz department of the conservatory of amsterdam only a couple of hundred meters away from our bimhuis, there is no lack of impressive talent on stage at anytime. add some spontanious visits of world-class musicians like esperanza spalding, seamus blake and dick oatts, and you got the perfect mix. in short, this is the session where every jazzmusician and jazzlover should be. entrance is free, reservations are not necessary. no reservations needed.

in the 1980s alto saxophonist steve coleman presented his own vision of jazz, based on soul, funk and the new rhythm of the street, hip-hop. as the band leader of five elements he co-founded the m-base collective, which included famous jazz singer cassandra wilson. its influence can still be felt today in the music of such progressive band leaders as jason moran, vijay iyer and ambrose akinmusire. as a composer coleman investigates the spiritual connection between contemporary afro-american culture, egyptian antiquity and folk music from all over the globe. rhythm and flow in nature and language are important points of interest. the recent live album polytropos/of many turns is a good example of coleman’s non-linear composition style, allowing band members to build the music spontaneously through pre-composed modules.

young pianist wajdi riahi harmoniously intertwines various worlds: his classical education, his passion for jazz and his north african heritage. his music is more than the sum of its parts, as he proves on his album essia. named after his mother, the album takes inspiration from his city of birth tunis and the local stambeli rituals. the rhythms that are integral to stambeli form the basis of wajdi riahi’s trio. in this line-up, he complements his piano playing with fender rhodes and his own voice. the double bass played by basile rahola offers firm support. pierre hurty’s drums are occasionally accentuated by the krakebs, the metallic castagnets used in stambeli and related styles such as gnawa. for five years these musicians have formed a close-knit unit in belgian jazz. wajdi has previously played with the likes of aka moon and he has recently performed on our stage with adèle viret.

brian marsella is a pianist who can be virtuoso, melodic and adventurous at the same time; critic peter margasak described his style as ‘herbie nichols or bud powell playing at warp speed.’ in his piano trio he plays with bassist trevor dunn and drummer kenny wollesen. all three members are regular compatriots of jazz innovator john zorn, whose work they have previously performed on our stage. now they will play marsella’s original compositions. since 1998, brian marsella has been active as a pianist out of new york. highlights from his oeuvre are the albums of his large ensembles imaginarium an gatos do sul, which have been acclaimed highly in the media. in the past years he became a key figure in john zorn’s world, working on many albums on zorn’s label tzadik, collaborating with major players such as john medeski, nels cline and julian lage. he previously played on our stage in banquet of the spirits, the ensemble of the exceptional percussionist cyro baptista. ‘the classically trained marsella displayed dizzying technique while imbuing pieces with an authentic soul-jazz feeling’ (downbeat on the brian marsella trio).

together they form a brand new ensemble, these four women who have profiled themselves in recent years as excellent band leaders and imaginative composers. all four have their foundations in jazz, from which they continue to expand their horizons through improvisation. they know each other well—nicole mccabe appeared in sasha berliner’s band at north sea jazz, while sasha played with kaisa’s machine led by kaisa mäensivu. now they will tour europe for the first time in this line-up. alto saxophonist nicole mccabe is a major talent from the flourishing los angeles scene, where she collaborates with tastemakers such as louis cole, jeff parker and amy aileen wood. she previously appeared on our stage with dolphin hyperspace, her electro jazz duo with bass guitarist logan kane. her most recent album mosaic was released on l.a.-based label ghost note. sasha berlin is a phenomenon on vibraphone who topped the downbeat critics poll in the category rising star vibraphone. at a very young age she started playing drums and moved towards vibraphone. as a teenager she collaborated with singer-songwriter beck, made her first ep gold and completed her jazz education. she recorded her most recent album onyx with the likes of marcus gilmore and james francies. kaisa mäensivu, originally from finland, is making a name for herself in new york as a double bassist. she performed with esteemed players such as kurt rosenwinkel and seamus blake and she previously appeared on our stage with her band kaisa’s machine and special guest jesse van ruller. she was tutored by ron carter and got her master’s degree at manhattan school of music. eva klesse also achieved her master’s degree in new york, after studying jazz in weimar, paris and leipzig. as a drummer she has won many awards including an echo, the german grammy. in the past decade she has released five albums as a band leader and composer on the renowned label enja records, including songs against loneliness which featured guitar hero wolfgang muthspiel.

spring, a time of renewal and growth. in our annual spring duets series, we celebrate this spring feeling by creating new encounters between musicians we rate highly. whether they are young heroes, internationally acclaimed performers, improv veterans, or unique outsiders, they unanimously take on the challenge make new music. this time the duos are: kristina fuchs & jeroen van vliet - vocals/electronics & piano/electronics we begin with an intimate duo who present their album tonight: life, you are beautiful, by vocalist kristina fuchs and pianist jeroen van vliet. fuchs, with her kaleidoscopic voice effortlessly shifting between dreamy and playful, whispering and powerful, performs together with pianist jeroen van vliet, who impresses with his lyrical and crystal-clear playing. together they create an adventurous musical world where jazz, improvisation, and poetry embrace each other. mary oliver & nora mulder - violin/hardanger fiddle/pedals & piano/electronics/pedals mary oliver and nora mulder are no strangers to each other, although they are now performing as a duo for the first time. together with vocalist greetje bijma, they formed picatrix, an adventurous ensemble that explores the boundaries of improvisation. oliver plays the violin, viola and the hardanger fiddle, a norwegian folk variant of the violin. she is a pivot in the amsterdam improv scene, partly through her participation in the icp orchestra. the distinctive pianist nora mulder made a name for herself with a combination of contemporary classical music, improvised music, and special sound installations. ella zirina & wolfert brederode - guitar & piano in a short time, ella zirina has developed into a guitarist who has become indispensable in the dutch jazz scene, partly through a performance at north sea jazz (with kurt rosenwinkel and joey baron), her edison-nominated debut album intertwined, and the fact that she has already shared the stage with big names like tineke postma, ben van gelder, jesse van ruller, reinier baas, pablo held, and yuri honing. now she shares the stage with another great musician: pianist wolfert brederode. brederode's piano playing and compositions are recognizable yet surprising, due to the subtle contrasts he uses. his latest album ruins and remains was released on the renowned label ecm records. giuseppe doronzo & genevieve murphy - baritone sax/iranian bagpipes & voice/electronics/scottish bagpipes baritone saxophonist giuseppe doronzo is an improviser through and through. therefore it makes a lot of sence he enters into a duet with another pure improviser, genevieve murphy. doronzo has played many times on our stage before, for example with the ava trio or as a soloist, with the successful solo album goya. genevieve murphy combines performance and visual art with contemporary classical music. a commonality is playing the bagpipes, with doronzo on iranian bagpipes alongside baritone sax and murphy on scottish bagpipes alongside her voice and electronics. the evening will be led by reinier baas, who will also conduct brief interviews with the musicians between the duo performances.