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The Dutch saxophonist, Henk van Twillert, studied at the Sweelinck Conservatory Amsterdam with Ed Bogaard (a leading classical saxophonist and pioneer in the field), where he completed his studies for the Superior Soloist diploma, passed “with distinctions”.
Henk van Twillert is an internationally renowned saxophonist with an inexhaustible passion for music, specialising in the baritone saxophone. While studying, he founded in 1979 with Bart Kok, the Amsterdam Saxophone Quartet, thereby starting his career as a professional musician. The quartet played an important role in the popularisation of classical chamber music and the intermingling of other musical genres, ranging from pop to jazz to local sing a longs. The foursome, which is self-willed and creative as ever, has performed all over the world and recorded many CD's, at times with other well-known musicians, including violinist Jaap van Zweden, pianist Daniël Wayenberg, drummer Han Bennink and king of the accordion Johnny Meijer. Remarkable events were the opening of the Ajax soccer stadium Arena in Amsterdam in 1996 and the final concert of the EXPO ’98 Lisbon, Portugal.
Even though Henk Van Twillert performed as soloist with the Soloist Quintet Salzburg in 1993, his solo career did not start in earnest until four years later. While preparing for a tour with violinist Sonja van Beek, he established the Amsterdam Soloist Quintet, a string quintet that covers a broad musical spectrum. The quintet has since accompanied him on many international tours, which have included performances with the Salzburg Chamber Soloist Ensemble, the Minsk Symphony Orchestra, Emmy Verhey, the Remix Ensemble conducted by Peter Rundle, Inessa Galante, the Beiras Philharmonic Orchestra, Vinko Globokar and Henry Brant. The quintet has also recorded numerous CD's, including the highly successfully productions “Tango, a homage to Astor Piazzolla” together with violinist Sonja van Beek, and “Homage to Heitor Villa-Lobos”. Together with violinist Emmy Verhey, he recorded Great Americans; on Classical Tour with the Baritone Sax he joins pianist Gian Maria Bonino to play works by Robert Schumann and Debussy.
Henk van Twillert’s unparalleled virtuosity is not only a joy to the ear, it has inspired other musicians to compose. Several leading composers, including Chiel Meijering, Anke Brouwer, Rob Hauser, Gijs van Dijk, Carlos Marques, Carlos Azevedo and Virgilio Melo have, for example, written works specifically for the baritone sax. J.S. Bach's Suites for Cello (BWV 1007-1011) recorded on on the baritone saxophone, a 2-CD album aunched in 2001, accelerated his musical career. In 2002, he recorded a CD with Portuguese fado music, “Saudades” together with the Grammy awarded Portuguese singer Carlos do Carmo (winner of the Goya Award 2008) as guest soloist. From 2006 on he was invited to the Newport Music Festival in USA. In 2006, together with the Latvian soprano Inessa Galante he also recorded the CD “Confesso”. During 2006, which proved an exhilarating year, he performed one of the album’s suites for Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands at the official opening of a church building in Amsterdam. He used the occasion to dust down his original Adolphe Sax baritone saxophone from 1863. He toured Mexico, Columbia and Venezuela during the same year, and was asked to perform at the prestigious Newport Music Festival in the USA, where he played with the Colorado String Quartet and on his own. He returned to Newport in 2007, this time to play music by Freddy Mercury with international diva Inessa Galante.
The duo, Henk van Twillert and pianist Tjako van Schie, formed in 1986, has been performing in many places in Holland, Portugal and in the Dutch Antilles. In 2011 presented their triple CD “A Bag of Music”. In addition to being his regular accompanist, Tjako van Schie has coached Van Twillert’s students in the Netherlands and Portugal.
In addition to being a performing musician, Henk van Twillert is an enthusiastic and indefatigable didactician who helps young musicians on their way to the professional stage. He lives in the Netherlands and Portugal. He was tutor teacher at the Academy of Music in Amsterdam, the Netherlands for 25 years (1979-2008). Since September 1990, he has bee tutor teacher of Saxophone at ESMAE - the Superior School of Music and Performing Arts in Porto, Portugal. Together with Portuguese saxophonist Fernando Valente, he established the Portuguese School for Classical Saxophone, which later gave birth to the Portuguese Saxophone Orchestra. He is also the founder and artistic director of the international saxophone ensemble Vento do Norte and Ventos Novos which was established following a series of master classes. He also worked regularly with the saxophone class of El Sistema - National Network of Youth and Children's Orchestras of Venezuela, and is a regular visiting lecturer at the Simón Bolívar academy of music in Caracas, Venezuela and UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) in Mexico City. He is also a sought-after master-class instructor, and has taught at the musical academies of Paris, Milan, Beijing, Minsk and Havana as well as New York University. He always combines love for music and teaching by giving workshops, master-classes and concerts around the world. In his pocket he carries his special music program for children “Stars of the Future”.
In 2009, Henk van Twillert made his premiere at the Dutch Antilles, together with Tjako van Schie they opened the Bonaire Jazz Festival. Spread out the news. Between 2009 and 2011, he was residing in New York New York where he besides his PhD study "Bach, the Blowing Bowing" and the start of the Baritone Saxophone duo with Gary Smulyan: "Bach Meets Bebop", established the young and versatile formation "The New York Stars" Henk, voice and saxes, and the New York Stars accommodate John Austria - Piano, Jolene Wilkinson-Voice, Kay Ando - Double bass, together with Drums and Guitar. While in New York, he started song-writing and completed his first album “New York” as singer / bandleader: Mr. Henk & Band, for which he wrote the lyrics and music of 13 songs, a sympathetic hybrid/mix of Jazz, pop, classical and blues, based on his experience of living almost two years in his beloved city New York.
In March 2012, Henk van Twillert made his debut with Carlos do Carmo at the prestigious theatre “Carre” in Amsterdam. In the 2012-2013 and 2012-2013 seasons, he started the concert serie “Meet the artists” in Amsterdam and Rotterdam where he invited musical colleagues to join him on stage. Due the success of the concert serie, this serie of concerts went on in the season 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 seasons. On June 2013, he got his doctor degree with the public defense of his thesis in “Bach’s Cello Suites Transcription and Interpretation for Baritone Saxophone”.
Henk van Twillert plays exclusively Yamaha saxophones, including the YBS 62 baritone and the YAS 875 EX Silver alto. He currently lives in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. |
