​Meet our bass teacher: John Goldsby!

Meet our bass teacher: John Goldsby!

Where do you even start when you’re talking with John Goldsby? He is the person who literally wrote the book on jazz bass playing with his groundbreaking work The Jazz Bass Book.

Since 1994, John Goldsby has been a member of the Westdeutscher Rundfunk Big Band (also known as the WDR Big Band or the Cologne Radio Big Band). From 1980 to 1994, Goldsby lived in New York City and was a fixture on the jazz scene there. He continues to contribute to the art form as a bassist, bandleader, composer, teacher, clinician and author.

Wanna know more on how John looks at writing books, life overseas, and innovation? Check out this podcast/interview!

Published on 20/9/2017

Amber Haddad wins Henriëtte Hustinx Prize (Jazz) 2017

Amber Haddad wins Henriëtte Hustinx Prize (Jazz) 2017

On 7 September, Ambar Haddad, a Master's degree student in Jazz (vocal) at Conservatorium Maastricht, was awarded the Henriëtte Hustinx Prize of €5,000.

The jury: ‘Over the past two years, the Flemish-Lebanese Master's degree student Amber Haddad has devoted herself to the essence of the Arab language and music, creating a music programme that draws in listeners by linking universality to her authenticity in every note. The jury highly commends her musical but also her social efforts in shaping her identity as a musician. It may well be described as a new musical craft - it is a path that needs to be paved before it can be followed, and where it will take you is uncertain. This craft requires high sensitivity to and interest in your cultural environment, demands the courage to turn yourself and your fellow players inside out, and maintains a ceaseless hunger for an original identity. Amber shows great promise as a musician and musical thinker, and she provides her generation with new musical blood.'

Also congratulations to the other nominees Marvin Frey (trumpet) and Tom Schreyer (composing/arranging).

The other two prizes, each worth €5000, were awarded to Silke De Bruyne (Maastricht Academy of Performing Arts) and Alina Maria Frieske (Maastricht Academy of Media Design and Technology).

Conservatorium Maastricht and the Arts Faculty Maastricht are very grateful to the Henriëtte Hustinx Foundation for the vital boost they give to the academies and students involved.

Published on 9/8/2017

Sara Decker becomes 2nd at Montreux Jazz Voice Competition

The Montreux Jazz Festival is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline.
It is the second largest annual jazz festival in the world after Canada's Montreal International Jazz Festival.

One of our alumni, Sara Decker, became 2nd at this world famous festival.
From over a 1000 applications only 7 people were chosen to sing of whom 3 actually were in the finals.

Franco-American singer, Cécile McLorin Salvant, presided over the jury, which also counted in its number: Swiss composer, Jérôme Berney; Swiss-Albanian singer, Elina Duni; Le Temps journalist, Stéphane Gobbo; and Radio Fribourg director, Thierry Savary.

CONGRATS Sara!!

More information about the competition? An inside peek into the finals? Check this link.

Published on 11/7/2017