Nietzsche’s Muses: solo bass clarinet

In this lecture-concert, I play improvised versions of compositions that are all related to Nietzsche: Beethoven, Strauss, Wagner, Mahler, Bizet. In between, I elaborate on these composers and their connection to Nietzsche.

Freedom and Improvisation (Master elective Conservatory of Amsterdam)

Freedom is a key element in jazz. It has almost become self-evident that, when improvising, we exercise freedom at least to a certain extent. But what does it mean to exercise freedom? What is freedom? How ‘free’ are we when we improvise? What kinds of freedom are there? Is there a difference between freedom in […]

Nietzsche’s Muses: An examination of Nietzsche’s philosophy as it relates to music and dance (Lecture in German or English)

Over the last few years, I have been avidly studying philosophy – particularly the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. This lecture elaborates on Nietzsche‘s ideas of identity, freedom, and creativity and connects these ideas to the world of music. I examine Nietzsche‘s relationship to Richard Wagner and his music, Nietzsche‘s studies on rhythm, as well as his own ambitions as a composer. I also discuss improvisation from a philosophical point of […]

Plato, Pluto en The Ninth Planet (Dutch)

Here’s an article that I wrote on Plato, Pluto and The Ninth Planet (in Dutch)

De Dubbele Beweging (Dutch)

This is an article I wrote for Jazz Bulletin (in Dutch!)

Great Philosophers on Music: Freedom in Improvisation (Lecture in English)

This lecture is an attempt to combine philosophy with music. It elaborates on the following questions: When we improvise, how free are we really? What kind of freedom is that? What role did music play for philosophers like Nietzsche and Schopenhauer? Would Nietzsche have liked today’s music and if so, what kind of music: chaotic free […]