Esmée Olthuis

alto- & sopranosaxophone
C-melody & blockofone

born: January 28th, 1969, Amsterdam
education: Amsterdam Conservatory
specialization: Jazz music; Contemporary music through non-western techniques, taught by Rafael Reina.

As a musician I am always seeking the essence of music, the experience of the moment, a connection between worlds of perception and the potential of my play.
I love contradiction: improvisation and composition, abstraction and lyricism, rawness and refinement, silence and rowdiness, order and chaos.
My interests are tone, virtuosity, and a continuous pursuit of perfect motion.

As a composer the creation of clear and simple yet concept-rich material is my main pursuit. I leave plenty of room for improvisation and interpretation and explore the playfulness and playability of more complex rhythms.Powerfull melodies and lyricism play an important role in my work.

What the press is saying:
“Esmée is an expressive alt with a sound like liquid gold. Her play is lyrical, expressive, unorthodox, and all her own.”

As a teacher I am very interested in the person behind the instrument. In my workshops I emphasize the development of a musician’s individuality. I use the participant’s motivation and prior experience as a starting point. The teaching-methods I use are: improvisation, the COBRA-method, basic techniques for jazz music and last but not least: music that I am involved in and inspired by at the moment.

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