In October 2025 it will be fourteen years since Piet Noordijk passed away. Saxophonist Benjamin Herman dedicates the sixth edition of his European Alto Festival to this legendary alto saxophonist. From Rotterdam bars to the Metropole Orkest, Noordijk’s effervescent tone made him one of the defining voices of Dutch jazz.

This year two exceptional alto saxophonists from Asia take centre stage: Japan’s Erena Terakubo and South Korea’s Miru Han, joined by Timothy Banchet (piano), Veerle van der Wal (bass) and Yoràn Vroom (drums). With the festival, Herman aims to introduce Dutch audiences to top alto players from nearby countries as well as his favourite Asian saxophonists. “There are so many great musicians who are invisible to Dutch jazz lovers… They play insanely well—you won’t believe your ears,” says Herman. His international outlook also resonates in his own autumn tour to Japan, as part of the cultural programme around the Expo.

Erena Terakubo, Miru Han, Benjamin Herman alto sax, Timothy Banchet piano, Veerle van der Wal bass, Yoràn Vroom drums