Creating your own performance opportunities, developing your own musical identity, building a connection with the artistic field, are only some of the reasons why in 2011 it was decided to launch the Breathing concerts for jazz students. The concept is simple, but not always easy: an internationally established jazz musician is invited for an in-depth and extensive coaching session, which ultimately leads to a concert.
In the meantime, almost 50 concerts have been organised. Celebrated musicians from Belgium and abroad have accompanied the students on the stages of the Conservatoire and beyond. A concert series of which we can be proud, and so we cannot let its tenth anniversary go by unnoticed.
We are therefore very pleased to be able to organise this celebration with living legend Gregory Hutchinson. The American musician is one of the most respected jazz drummers of our time. His father had him behind the drums from an early age, but his career really took off in the late 80s, when he got a place in Red Rodney's band.
In the years that followed, he played with countless jazz legends, including Betty Carter, Joshua Redman, Dianne Reeves, Wynton Marsalis, John Scofield, Roy Hargrove and Diana Krall.
On 23 December Hutchinson shares the stage of de Singer with students Seba Colson (trumpet), Samuel Cooremans (piano), Wolf de Backer (double bass) and Robbe Broeckx (drums), the result of ten intense rehearsal days together.
December is jazz month at the Conservatoire
A busy December month awaits our students and alumni! Not only Gregory Hutchinson will be working with some of them. There are three other performances on the agenda:
- 8 December, de Singer Rijkevorsel: Soet Kempeneer Trio feat. Magic Malik: First meeting
After a week of rehearsals, alumnus Soet Kempeneer and his trio share the stage with French jazz flautist Magic Malik.
- 9 December, Rataplan Antwerp: Jazz's Cool Project
The Jazz's Cool project brings together students from the conservatoires in Antwerp, Aarhus/Aalborg, Helsinki, The Hague, Krakow, Budapest and Rome in six international ensembles led by a renowned coach. Each ensemble rehearsed for a week in Rome (St Louis College of Music) at the end of October and played in Casa del Jazz at the end of that week.
While our students are going abroad for their guest performances, we welcome two of the combos in Antwerp:- The sextet led by Italian pianist Ramberto Ciammarughi
- The sextet olv clarinetist Gabriele Mirabassi
- 9 December, Werkplaats Walter Brussel, Breathing with Bo Van der Werf
Double bill with Oren Ambarchi - Eric Thielemans! Baritone saxophonist Bo van der Werft opens the evening with students Jany Van Lul (trumpet), Thibaut Deryckere (piano), Griet Grypdonck (bass) and Simon de Rover (drums).
Picture from Jazz's Cool Project