About Joop Koopman

Joop Koopman, pianist, comes from a classical background, but the classical music practice, rendering note by note of other people’s music, however brilliant, was not what he wanted. Instead, he longed to play the music that spontaneously welled up in him, but got stuck in that endeavour, like so many classically trained pianists. It was studying percussion, Indian tabla among other drums, that made him find his own style on the piano. His music is mostly improvised, strongly percussive, flowing, driving, hypnotizing, beautiful or poignant with romantic digressions.

Alphons Wertwijn was the first tabla student ever to graduate from the Rotterdam Conservatory. After this he travelled to India to study with grandmaster Ustad Faiyaz Khan. Alphons regularly accompanied masterclasses of, among others, Hariprasad Chaurasia (bansuri) en Budaditya Mukkherjee (sitar). Besides Indian classical music, he also performed in flamenco, Moroccan, and sufi music. In 2012, he met pianist JoopKoopman, and ever since they performed with a wide array of musicians.

Leon Bartelsman is a violinist, trumpet player, and composer. He loves lyrical melodies that speak to emotion, but he is also not afraid to play the violin in unconventional ways. He greatly enjoys making intimate music in small ensembles. The energy that arises when a group of musicians is in the same focus together is something Leon deeply cherishes. That energy is an essential part of all his music.