Jazz guitarist Jesse van Ruller comes to Maastricht for a two-part masterclass this April. A presentation on improvisation and accompaniment will be followed by a session where Jesse will form duos with students of Conservatorium Maastricht.
Jesse van Ruller is known to be one of the best contemporary jazz guitarists on the scene today. His unique sound, virtuoso technique and beautiful compositions are praised around the globe.
In 1995 he won the prestigious Thelonious Monk Award in Washington . The jury, consisting of Pat Metheny, John Scofield, Jim Hall, Pat Martino and Mark Whitfield, was of the opinion that Jesse is one of the most promising talents of his time.
In the same year he graduated summa cum laude from the Hilversum Conservatory, where he studied with Wim Overgaauw. Since then he has collaborated with many of the worlds leading musicians. He was nominated for the Dutch Bird and Edison Awards several times and to date has released 11 albums as a leader or co-leader.
Jesse leads his own trio in which he continues to display his impressive talents as a jazz guitarist as well as a composer. In this classic guitar-bass-drums setting he unerringly combines all chords and melodies on his semi-acoustic jazz guitar; tradition, expertise and innovation un-insistently go hand in hand.