"Dutch musician-composer and bandleader Ig Henneman performs on viola, and writes compositions for orchestras, ensembles, soloists, including pieces for film and theater. As an improviser, she mainly focuses on the Ig Henneman Sextet, Duo Baars-Henneman and Perch Hen Brock & Rain.

According to critic Ed Hazell "... an artist incapable of remaining satisfied with any music that lies strictly within the boundaries of any one style. Her working free of received wisdom to an individual voice and clarity of vision is the exhilarating story told by the discs. (...) it's a beautiful, functioning musical world all it's own that Henneman developed organically out of poetry, jazz, classical, improvised music-and birdsong. (...) Melodies were entirely her own, again blending an ancient and modern sensibility similar to the Tentet recording and using rhythm and nonstandard intervals to shape and color them. (...) Not that she doesn't have chops, but she seems determined to subvert classical notions of instrumental prowess in favor of a deliberately simple approach with more emphasis on timbre and more directly expressive (perhaps this is a legacy of her rock experience?) (...) Here the deliberately awkward rhythms, the dry textures and subdued colors of her playing, the concentration of thought and her ability to pare down to essentials take on an intense vulnerability and humanity.(...) It is sound discovered and organized with no preconceived notions and it is both incredibly touching and intellectually thrilling at the same time."

As of 1985, Ig Henneman leads her own groups, showcasing improvisers as well as her own compositions, in hundreds of concerts throughout Europe, North America, Brasil and Japan.

Some highlights:

• in her series 'Solo Songs for Instruments' Henneman wrote In the Storm of Roses -Solo Song for violin with improvisation- for the German violinist Ayumi Paul, and for Dutch violinist Diamanda La Berge Dramm. And Ten Lines -Solo Song for viola with improvisation- for Elisabeth Smalt (2014-2015)
• European 2014 tour with Perch Hen Brock & Rain a totally improvised quartet featuring Ab Baars, Ig Henneman, Ingrid Laubrock and Tom Rainey
• Duo Baars-Henneman 'Autumn Songs' USA Tour (2012)
• Molot for marimba-solo played by Fredrike de Winter (2010, 2011)
• Ig Henneman Sextet plays 'Kindred Spirits' (2010), recorded on Cut a Caper (Wig 19, 2011)
• Chant for violin and piano played by Heleen Hulst and Gerard Bouwhuis (2010)
• Henneman, Henneman & De Swaan, Henneman String Quartet with harpist Godelieve Schrama (2004), recorded on Strepen - Music and Image in Concert (DVD and CD, Wig 10, 2004) Henneman String Quartet on Italian music (2001), recorded on Piazza Pia (Wig 07, 2002)
• Henneman String Quartet plays Westwerk (1997), a project on medieval music and architecture
• Ig Henneman Tentet plays 'De nachtegaal tijdens de slaap' (1995), recorded on Repeat that, repeat (Wig 03, 1995)
• Ig Henneman Tentet plays Emily Dickinson (1993), recorded on Dickinson (Wig 02, 1993)

Self-taught composer Ig Henneman received some years of coaching by Dutch composer Robert Heppener. Since the nineties the music of the Russian composers Galina Ustvolskaya en Sofia Gubaidulina has been an inspiration for Henneman, who is attracted by the extremes of the former's structural severity and the latter's improvisational freedom.

As a five year old, Ig Henneman took piano lessons; at eleven she began to play the violin as well. At the conservatory, she initially studied the piano, later she majored on the violin, but ultimately the viola became her instrument. Ig Henneman played in several symphony orchestras before co-founding the legendary rockband FC Gerania, which performed Henneman's first compositions. One of her early works is the soundtrack to the 1927 silent movie Baby Ryazanskye by Olga Preobrasjenskaja. Nowadays she is renowned for being one of the 'New Dutch Swing' improvisers of the Amsterdam scene as well as for being a prolific and much sought-after composer. She performs at venues and festivals in Europe, Japan and North America. Grants and commissions were given her by the Fonds voor de Scheppende Toonkunst, the Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, the Fonds voor de Amateurkunst en de Podiumkunsten and the Dutch Ministry of Culture.

So far, Ig Henneman has worked with improvisers such as Ingrid Laubrock, Tom Rainey, Dave Burrell, Misha Mengelberg, Alberto Braida, Han Buhrs, Axel Doerner, Martin van Duynhoven, Katrien Ex, Lori Freedman, Mark Helias, Tristan Honsinger, François Houle, Wilbert de Joode, Theo Jörgensmann, Takuji Kawai, Peggy Lee, Marilyn Lerner, Sabina Meyer, Michael Moore, Phil Minton, Ernst Reijseger, Roswell Rudd, Fabrizio Spera, Roger Turner, Veryan Weston, Wolter Wierbos, dancers Hisako Horikawa and Masako Noguchi and poets Anneke Brassinga, H. C. ten Berge and Diane Régimbald."

-Wig (http://stichtingwig.com/igHenneman/igHenneman.html)
9/27/2023

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"Violist / composer Oene van Geel (1973) is a true adventurer in music. Influenced by jazz, chamber music, Indian music and free improvisation, he has applied his virtuoso improvisation skills and his composition talents to a wide scope of musical activities. He toured in Europe, India, Japan, the USA and Canada.

As a player he is currently active with: Zapp4, Estafest, The Nordanians, Haanstra & van Geel and a duo with Matteo Mijderwijk. Besides these groups he is regularly invited as an improvising guest soloist.

He has won the Boy Edgar Award (2013), the Sena Performers Toonzetters Award (2012, with Zapp4) Kersjes Award (2005, with Zapp4), the Deloitte Jazz Award (2002), Dutch Jazz Competition (2001) and the Jur Naessens Music Award (2000).

Oene composes for his own groups, but also writes for other ensembles / soloists such as:

The David Kweksilber Big Band, Osiris Trio, New European Ensemble, Calefax, Ensemble Black Pencil, Amstel Quartet, Steven Kamperman Quintet, Frederieke Saeijs, Remy van Kesteren & Eric Vloeimans, Eric Bosgraaf, Jeugd Orkest Nederland, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Matangi Quartet, Tetzepi bigtet, Ricciotti Ensemble, Nikolay Shugaev, David Braid and many others.

In 2015 Oene wrote his first viola concerto for Emlyn Stam and the New European Ensemble (premiered 18 December at the Bimhuis, Amsterdam).

Oene often gets commissions by festivals such as: Het Nederlands Vioolconcours (2016), Cello Biennale Amsterdam (2016 and 2008), 25 years Osiris Trio (2014), Storioni Festival (2013), Orlando Festival (2012), North Sea Jazz Festival (2005), SJU Jazz Festival (2002), Marathon Festival Oosterpoort (2002).

As a player and / or composer he was involved in theatre productions with the following companies / directors: Silbersee, Holland Opera, Marcel Sijm, Hollands Diep, Boukje Schweigman, Eric Vaarzon Morel, Saartje van Camp, Tafel van Vijf (Herman van Baar), De Wereldband and the Sonnevanck theatre.

Oene has a special interest in dance: he often works with dancer/ choreographer Kenzo Kusuda, dancer/ choreographer Heather Ware and he will do a collaboration with choreographer Kalpana Raghuraman in 2018."

-Oene van Geel Website (http://oenevangeel.com/biography/)
9/27/2023

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"Alex Waterman is a composer, performer, producer, and scholar, exploring how social bodies can live and interact with one another in more musical ways. He has created a diverse body of works including sound installations, television operas, film and video works, exhibitions, amateur choral works, radio and film scores, and solo performances as a cellist, electronic musician and storyteller.

His installation works, films and music productions have been exhibited at the ICA London, Stonescape, Vilma Gold, The Kitchen, Miguel Abreu Gallery,Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, the Serpentine London, White Columns, the Swiss Institute, Kunstverein Amsterdam, The Rotterdam Film Festival, The Toronto Film Festival, CAC Bretigny, the Bonnefantenmuseum, the St. Louis Museum, and the Whitney Museum.

Alex Waterman and Robert Ashley were artists in the 2014 Whitney Biennial. He built a television studio and installation space inside the Whitney Museum and produced three operas by Ashley. In November 2017 he presented his first solo opera at the Donaueschingen Musiktage in Germany.

Waterman has taught at Bard College (MFA program), NYU, Bloomfield College, and the Banff Centre for the Arts. He was a Visiting Assistant Professor of Music at Wesleyan University from 2015-18 and currently teaches at Ramapo College of New Jersey."

-Alex Waterman Website (https://www.alexwaterman.com/info)
9/27/2023

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"Wilbert de Joode (1955) is a veritable research scientist of bass pizzicato and bowing techniques. A self-taught musician, he has been playing the double-bass since 1982. He began working in groups that improvised within a jazz framework. Other musicians were soon drawn to his idiosyncratic style, and in the mid 80s he played in groups led by Vera Vingerhoeds, Armando Cairo and Ig Henneman where he further developed his improvisation skills. He came into contact with such musicians as J.C.Tans, Rinus Groeneveld, Michiel Braam, Han Bennink, Han Buhrs (Schismatics) and Ab Baars.

De Joode is currently one of the most active bass players on the European improvised music circuit. His individual style and musicality transforms the double bass into an equal partner in the most varied ensembles. A personal tone colour, exploration of the outer registers, quirky improvisations and the use of gut strings contribute to an instantly recognizable and intriguing sound.

The seventeen improvised pieces on his first solo cd Olo (distributed by ToonDist) show how rich and complex his sound on the double bass is."

-DOEK Festival Website (http://www.doek.org/project/wilbert-de-joode/)
9/27/2023

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