Wake up in 24 Uur Cultuur

Andreas Suntrop | Jazz

Andreas Suntrop (1966) studied jazz/popular music at the Rotterdam Conservatory with Joe Pass, Jim Hall, Klaus Flenter and Ben de Bruyn. He plays in various jazz formations, including New Niks, Jasper le Clercq 4, Busy, Busy, Busy, GAP and Elizabeth Simonian 5.

Andreas has worked with Carel Kraayenhof, Eric Vloeimans, Jasper le Clercq, Pieter de Mast, Keimpe de Jong, John Buijsman, Mimezine, Oene van Geel, Arend Niks, Mijke Loeven, Vera van der Poel, Elizabeth Simonian, Maarten Ornstein, and Zapp4 .

He worked as a composer/musician for the RO Theater, Rotterdam Foundation The Connection, Theater Aluin, Growing Up In Public. John Buijsman, Keimpe de Jong and Andreas Suntrop made several musical theater productions. (Photo Cees van de Ven)

Florentijn Hofman | Art

The semi-collaborative performances with local communities are central to Hofman's work. For instance, see his work of a giant muskrat out of a wooden frame thatched with hay, the massive rabbit sculptured out of salvaged wood or his project in France with a giant rubber duck.

Florentijn Hofman is not an average gallery-exhibited artist. The world is a huge playground and he can choose just about any spot or material in which to display his installations. He obviously changes between performative (public) art and the domain of the sculpture with great joy and has a strong wish to amaze and make life a little more fun.

Melissa Fortes | Jazz

Music and theatre have always been Melissa's first loves. That's why, in 2007, Melissa made a bold move to give up her steady job as a social worker. By being active as a professional actress, drama teacher, singer, songwriter and MC, Melissa hopes to inspire people with her skills and trigger them to go after their dreams like she did. As a professional singer Melissa has been active for over 10 years. She has had the chance to work with various famous national and international artists. Her Cape Verdian roots brought her in contact with a.o. Boy Ge Mendes and Sara Tavares.

Since 2008 Melissa has been working with her producer Sebas dos Santos. 2013 brought Melissa the fruit of her labours. She presented her dreamy debut single, 'Lullaby'. When you ask Melissa what kind of feeling she'd like to bring across with her single she answers: "Sunny saturdays & Lazy Sunday mornings". So if you're looking for darkness, keep on looking, Mellisa Fortes is here to bring out the sun! (Photo AW Fotoprodukties)

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Tobias Kokkelmans | Opera

Tobias Kokkelmans studied theatre science and musicology. He currently is dramaturge at Wunderbaum, teaches at the Amsterdam School for the arts and Codarts Rotterdam, and writes about theatre for Theaterschrift Lucifer and Etcetera. He previously worked at Emio Greco | PC, Flanders Festival, Pascale Platel and at the Ro Theater.

Wunderbaum is a group consisting of actors, a designer, a dramaturge, musicians, writers, photographers and film producers. Their work is inspired by the energy that is released between their personalities and the outer world. Wunderbaums way of working is chameleonic; it can take on many shapes. Their performances are always the result of newly discovered theatre forms combined with new interests in humankind or social themes. He currently is dramaturge at Wunderbaum and Operadagen Rotterdam. (Photo Fred Ernst)

Hester Scheurwater | Art

Hester Scheurwater (1971) studied monumental art at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in The Hague. Under the guise of self-portraits, she investigates and critiques the role of woman as a sex object. Photographs of herself posing before a mirror reflects both Scheurwater's inner thoughts and outward appearance. "The mirrored self-images are my way of reacting on the imitated and fake media images, which are constantly calling upon our imagination, without intending to be taken too seriously, " she explains. " I try to deconstruct this call's effect with my reactions by switching the 'subject-object' relationship, without being victimised by it." Scheurwater's work is sexually explicit, and therefore well known. Scheurwater also teaches video art at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in The Hague.

Omri Tindal | Jazz

Omri Tindal (1986) is a phenomenal talented singer/song writer, composer and dancer, born and raised in Rotterdam. Starting at the age of 16 he worked for 5 years with the close harmony group “Delighted. During this time he also performed with international singer/song writer and producer Bilal and worked with top producer Giorgio Tuinfort. In his early 20’s Omri became part of the theatre group “Soul Brother”. They toured around Holland for two years, performed at Holland largest locations (Carré and Heineken Music Hall a.o) and appeared on national TV. As a performer Omri made an appearance in the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Spain, Turkey and Atlanta (USA).

Recently Omri participated in a Dutch live TV show called “The Voice of Holland”. He was also at the Dutch TV channels Nederland 3 (DWDD), TV Rijnmond, RTL5 (Killer Karaoke), Radio538 and FunX. (Photo Wim Barzilay)

Shirma Rouse | Jazz

Her talent for music has been nurtured at an early age. Her family played an important role in developing her talent. Her father, a well-known instrumentalist, was one of her biggest inspirations. Accompanying her grandmother to church and singing in church would form, unknown to her, the steps towards her current career. Born on the island of Curacao and raised on the island of St.Eustatius, she build her career as a musician in the Netherlands.

Her introduction to the Dutch music scene started when she was asked to become a backing vocalist of the group Tasha’s World. She moved on to performing, recording and touring with a wide range of artists from every genre. Chaka Khan, Micheal Bolton, Metropole Orkest, Intwine, Extince, Wouter Hamel, Candy Dulfer, Alain Clark, Anouk, Glennis Grace, Randal Corsen, Tribute 2 Bob Marley, Carlo de Wijs. (Photo Thomas van Beek)

Quirijn Vos | Jazz

Quirijn Vos started playing the trumpet when he was 8 years old. At the age of 14 his talent was noticed by his teacher Andre Heuvelman, who invited him to come to the Rotterdam Conservatory. He graduated Cum Laude in 2012. Among his private teachers: Eric Vloeimans, Simon Rigter, Marvin Stamm, Wim Both, Ad van Zon, Andre Heuvelman and Jarmo Hoogendijk. In 2008, 2009 and 2010 he has played at North Sea Jazz. In 2009 he and his band Raw Kandinsky won the Blue Note Demo contest and in 2010 the XL-jazz concours in Brussels. In 2011/12 he studied in Graz Austria with Jim Rotondi & Tobias Weidinger.

Currently, he plays with numerous artists: Blaudzun, Maria Schneider, Bryan Lynch, Ack van Rooyen, James Morisson, Bart van Lier, Izaline Callister, Hans Dulfer, and plays in clubs with DJ's like Hed Kandi (live), Erick E, Gregor Salto, La Fuente, Lucien Foort, Ziggy Stardust, Ricky Rivaro and Roog. (Photo Kurt Vandeweerdt)

Kamiel Verschuren | Art

Kamiel Verschuren is a conceptual interdisciplinary artist, working in a broad international practice with a special interest for the public domain in different positions; as drawer, (spatial) designer, designer of public space, organiser, initiator, social activist, observer, urban advisor, landscape architect, producer and publicist; co-founder of artist initiative foundation B.a.d (1989), Studio Pompstraat, Studio NL 01.08.04 (2004), Stedelinks010 foundation (2011), international project organisation ICUartprojects, member of the advisory board of TENT./CBK Rotterdam (2004), self-management organisation NAC foundation (2004) and board member of Freehouse (2011). He works individually and in collaboration with other artists and organization. Abroad he is active in several long term collaborations with FSKE-Studio Galeria, S-Air, La Source du Lion and Doual’art; in Budapest (2002-2005), Sapporo (since 2004), Casablanca (2003-2006) and Douala (since 2007).

Ties Ten Bosch | Art

Ties Ten Bosch lives and works at the B.a.d foundation in the south of Rotterdam. As a visual artist he uses many different media to create his work, focussing on the quality of the imperfect side of (semi-) public domain from an architectural, social and political point of view. Through interventions, videos, installations, etc. he creates awareness with the viewer on the way the world around him is built and organized.

In the past and present Ties initiated and participated in collaborations like Volksrekorders and hOUTSKOOL artzine.

Jeanne van Heeswijk | Art

Jeanne van Heeswijk (1965, Schijndel) is a visual artist who creates contexts for interaction in public spaces. Her projects distinguish themselves through a strong social involvement. With her work, Van Heeswijk stimulates and develops cultural production and creates new public (meeting-) spaces or remodels existing ones. To achieve this, she often works closely with artists, designers, architects, software developers, governments and citizens. She regularly lectures on topics such as urban renewal, participation and cultural production.

Cora Schmeiser | Opera

Cora Schmeiser, born in Germany, studied singing at the Royal Academy of the Hague in the Netherlands. There she specialized in Early music, especially medieval music, and as a member of the Dutch Vocaallaboratorium she developed her experience and love for modern music. The play of words, content, sound and voice is the base of her work, which is expressed in performances of different art disciplines and music-theatre productions.

Cora performed in festivals as Wien Modern, Operadagen Rotterdam, Oerol-Festival and YO! Operafestival serveral times as well as in theatre productions like Doedada with theatergroup Hotel Modern, Kurt Schwitters 'der verrückte Antibürger', 'Songbooks' by John Cage, as the solo-operas 'Four', 'A Song of fight and solution', 'News Real, a mediaoper' and 'Ordo virtutum' by Hildegard von Bingen with ensemble Ars Choralis Coeln. In her new programme 'Timetravel of a trobairitz' Cora found a way to melt both her fascinations: music of the middleages and music of our time.

Lukas Simonis | Opera

Lukas Simonis is a musician, composer, performer, radiomaker and cultural coordinator, mainly active in the experimental music and sound art. He started his musical career in Dutch punk and experimental bands such as Demogorgon, Dull Schicksal, Morzelpronk, Trespassers W and later Aa Kismet, Vril, Static Tics and Coolhaven. He also worked at The Jazz Bunker, Dodorama and WORM.

Simonis worked with a large series of experimental musicians (a.o. Pierre Bastien, Eugene Chadbourne, Anne La Berge, Chris Cutler, Bob Drake, Alan Jenkins, Adam and Jonathan Bohman). He made several cd's with these and other musicians. His works are sometimes referred to as electronic opera's. With G.W. Sok (ex-singer of The Ex) he did the movie soundtrack for the short film 'Illusies' (2011) and started the band 'Zoikle'. Simonis is also working for dutch (VPRO Radio 6, Cafe Sonore) and international (ao. Radia network) radio, and is producing and curating radiophonic pieces and radioplays.

Erik-Ward Geerlings | Opera

Erik-Ward Geerlings (1963) is a director and an author, working for theater and opera. He created more than 30 theatre plays and libretti, most of them for (music)theatre companies like Onafhankelijk Toneel, Rotterdamse Schouwburg, Els Inc., K.V.S. Brussel, Huis van Bourgondië, Com.Plot, Artemis, Zuidelijk Toneel, ZTHollandia, Het Vervolg.

His work is unique in the Dutch theater world. Geerlings uses a rich and poetic language. He plays with words and characters, and likes to use rhymes and comparisons. Press about Mephisto, 2012: ‘the quotations are alarmingly up to date and cause strong after-effects, thanks to Erik-Ward Geerlings. He gave Klaus Mann’s book words that not only picture an historic period, but also reveals the painful elements of our time’

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Falk Hübner | Opera

Falk Hübner is a composer and theatre maker, creating experimental stage works which fall between concert, installation and performance as conceptualist, composer and director. Falk is part of the first collective of the Kameroperahuis Zwolle (chamber opera house Zwolle, NL). During the Operadagen they perform ‘Leonore’s Fidelio' in the old prison in Rotterdam.

Falk works as senior lecturer at the Utrecht School of Arts (HKU) for the new master study in Performance Design, and is programme coordinator of this study. Related to this new challenge Falk is member of the team of the Research Centre for Theatre Making Processes around Nirav Christophe, also part of the HKU. He is currently finishing his PhD dissertation: "Shifting Identities" on musicians as theatrical performers. The trajectory will result in a new performance and a doctoral dissertation.

Michiel Stekelenburg | Jazz

The compositions of Michiel Stekelenburg are known by their special character and tense structure: exciting music, dressed as swinging pieces, with lots of possibilities for improvisation.

Michiel studied at the Conservatorium in Tilburg, and was guided by Peter Mingaars, Ed Verhoeff and Peter Hertmans, he followed masterclasses of Nelson Veras and Anton Goudsmit.

He plays with various groups and musicians, like Michiel van Zundert and Spectalicious, Pascal Vermeer and Guus Bakker, BEAM, Eric Vloeimans, Tom Beek and Tijmen Zinkhaan and a project with American singer/songwriter Daniel Johnston. (Photo Bas Losokoot)

Laise Sanches | Jazz

Laise, well-known as a member of 'Addlicious', is a singer/songwriter/entertainer living in the heart of Rotterdam. She made her debut as a 'backing vocalist' in 2002 with Tasha's World. At the age of 17 Laise was already travelling the world, gracing podiums in the cities of Africa, Europe and America with a plethora of national and international acts. Accompanying and collaborating with the likes of Chaka Khan, Michael Bolton, Bobby McFerrin, Wouter Hamel, Shirma Rouse, Giovanca, Do, Uniq, Winne, Kempi, Izaline Calister, Dina Medina, Boyge Mendes, Nelson Freitas and many more. Last few years, Laise has slowly been stepping away from the 'backing vocalist' and making a jump start on her solo career.

“An intricate work of art, she exudes a passion for life, rejoices in the sound of laughter, and embraces the notion of everlasting love in universal music. Her persona steals you and leads you to her sound, her music - passionate, energetic, honest - fun!” (Photo Joke Schot)

Diona Fox | Jazz

Diona Fox (born in 1989 as Karin Canters) started singing when she was 13 years old as a stand-in-backing-vocalist. She is now leading the 5 headed band 'Diona Fox & her Ragdolls'. They find their origin in their common love for old music styles. In their work Jazz and Soul are brought together. The lyrics are storytelling, the arrangements take you away. Their repertoire is both easy-listening and rousing, something recognizable but also innovating. During their act the band, dressed-up classy and stylish, creates a pleasant homey atmosphere, a warm gust of long-ago-but-wonderful-days.

In 2009 they released their first Selftitled demo. In 2010 the first EP called 'She's A Murderess', and in 2011 they released the EP 'Back Then' online. Their latest single 'Porcelain' was released in March this year, including video! Juli 12 'Diona Fox & her Ragdolls' will play at North Sea Round Town at 'RAAF', joined and supported by saxophone player Dick de Graaf. (Photo Sasha Ivantic)

Arend Niks | Jazz

Arend Niks (Schiedam, August 10, 1960) is a percussionist and composer who, based on a pop background and with a fresh vision, plays jazz- and improvised- music. He often collaborates with guitarist Corrie van Binsbergen, in groups as 'Corrie en de (Grote) Brokken'. He also formed his own groups, such as 'Niks', 'Niks Project' en New Niks. For those groups he writes most compositions, expressing his ideas about sound, shape, style and dynamic.

He enjoys working with dancers and actors, for example with the group 'Geen Deel', and 'Orkater', with whom he worked at two productions for the traveling theater festival 'De Parade'. (Photo Cees van de Ven)

Ai Ming Oei | Jazz

Ming (1985) is a Dutch singer and songwriter. Her music goes by the name of Ming's Pretty Heroes. So far Ming's Pretty Heroes released Ep Cut of from Gravity (Jan 2008), debut album Ok Mr. Mix (Sept 2009) and album Karma (Sept 2011).

Following the release of her debut album, Ming toured though Germany and China and was awarded the Music Matters Award. This award made her Rotterdam's Music Ambassador for 2011 and provided the financial aid to start recording second album "Karma". In April this year they toured through China. From March to May Ming’s Pretty Heroes toured with modern dance company Conny Janssen Danst. Especially for this show called "Meer Ruis", music of the Karma album was rewritten and rearranged. After over 40 shows in the Netherlands and in Switzerland, this summer "Meer Ruis will be performed again at theater festival de Parade as well as on Lowlands. In the meantime Ming is working on a new album: Roots and Bones, brought to you, hopefully, in the fall of 2013. (Photo Wim Barzilay)

V&B | Art

V&B (Alex Jacobs and Ellemieke Schoenmaker) is an artist duo founded in 2007 in Los Angeles. In their paintings, sculptures and installations they often comment on the (art)world in a self portraying ironic way. Their work combines historic references with elements borrowed from the media and popular culture. Both impulsive inspiration and a critical interest reveal surprising combinations that invite the viewer to search for commonly missed relations.

V&B have won the Royal painting Prize in 2008 and were recently winners of The New Rembrandt, a dutch television show looking for talent.They have done solo- and group exhibitions at Het Gemeentemuseum in Den Haag, GrimMuseum Berlijn, TENT. Rotterdam, Galerie10 Utrecht, Mark Moore Gallery Los Angeles, ArtAmsterdam, Actionfields Brussel, ArtFair Keulen, ArtAthina Athene, KERS gallery Amsterdam, The Co-Prosperity Sphere Chicago and KNIPSU Bergen.

Jan van de Pavert | Art

Jan van de Pavert (Zeist, 1960) makes sculptures, films, drawings and paintings. They all evolve around fictive spaces: buildings that do not exist, but are evoked in those films and drawings. Sometimes the buildings are decorated with murals.

March 2013 a design will be shown for a mural that spans 35 meter. It will probably be executed in glass in the new metro below the Centraal Station in Amsterdam. December 2012 - February 2013 there is an exhibition in Nürnberg with all the computer-animated films Jan made so far. Other exhibitions will follow in 2013 in Museum Van Abbe, Eindhoven and De Appel, Amsterdam.

Observatorium - Public Art/ Place-making | Art

Observatorium was founded in 1998 in Rotterdam by artists Geert van de Camp, Ruud Reutelingsperger and Andre Dekker. They seek to create sculptures and collaborations which give new meaning and use to environments, that are in transit. The artists and their local partners introduce new uses of public realm, using sculpture, architecture and participatory place making. Apart from sculpture and installations they also work on landscape parks of which two are realized in the Ruhr area: Halde Norddeutschland together with WES Landschaftsarchitekten from Hamburg and Zollverein Park together with Planergruppe Oberhausen.

Efrat Zehavi | Art

Efrat Zehavi (1974 Haifa) is a sculptress, filmmaker and performance artist. The core of her artwork is always based on narration, often with an allegorical implication. In her work she blends personal experiences, family stories, biblical figures, mythologies, fairy-tails and news-items into one classification system called: The Museum of Subjective Science.

In this imaginary system the artist functions simultaneously as the researcher and the subject for research itself. The intention of this system functions as 'X-ray' of the artists' soul. Merciless she aims to unmask the psychological motives and the primary instincts that hide under the surface of 'normal' behavior.

Remty Elenga | Art

Remty Elenga (1987) recently graduated from the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam, were she studied fine arts. In her work she researches the visual language of representation, where and what for we use representation and how this is integrated in our everyday life. Depictions are no longer attached to their physical presence and are free to travel from place to place, finding themselves in both physical and non-physical conditions. Elenga tends to explore these different layers of reality, searching for contradictions within time and space, the visible and the invisible, between what is real and what is not.

Boo van der Vlist | Art

Boo van der Vlist (1990) is an artist who studies political science in Amsterdam. This background gives her the inspiration, yet also the tools to operate as an artist. She reacts on social relevant issues and does this in multiple ways; from interventions in public space to becoming part of an organisation as Rijkswaterstaat. Power and participation play a central role in her work. She plays with these elements and strategically uses it in interventions or as subject of her work.

Desiree de Baar | Art

Spaces fascinate Desiree de Baar. These can be lived-in rooms in a house or building, but also specific, tough, masculine rooms such as a prison cell or an observation post. She wants to make these spaces her own. She does this by exaggerating some parts, details so ordinary they escape the notice of others, or by displacing the rooms to a gallery or museum where she transforms their character. Thereby she creates alienation. The viewer has to backtrack. His assumptions are thrown to the wind. His faded imagination is stirred.

The media Desiree de Baar uses are wallpaper, embroidery and knitting. Media that the viewer might not automatically associate with fine art. On the contrary. She complements them with drawings and sketches.

Jacqueline de Maat | Opera

Jacqueline studied fashion design at the Art Academy in Rotterdam. She worked with (a.o.) Stichting Kamer Opera Nederland, O.T. Theater & Opera O.T., Ro Theater, Werkplaats L/V, Bonheur, Jeugdtheaterschool Gouda and Dordrecht, Het Nationale Toneel, Cosmic Theater.

Besides designing costumes for Theatre and Opera, she also worked with cloth in scenography. Sometimes small, like the puppets for ‘Tuin’ (O.T. Theater 2006), ‘Die Zauberflöte’ (2008, Nationale Reisopera) and the puppets for OT Opera ‘L’enfant et les Sortiléges’ (2012). Sometimes big, like the scenery of the Opera ‘Kwasi & Kwame’ (Opera O.T., 2007) and the houses in the youth performance ‘De Grote Wereld’ (O.T., 2008).

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Linde Schinkel | Opera

Linde Schinkel, soprano, got her Master degree as a student of Xenia Meijer in 2011 (Fontys Conservatory). Earlier she got her bachelor degree at the Rotterdam Conservatory.

Linde sings solo in oratoria, like Bachs Matthäus Passion, the Messiah of Händel,the Requiem of Mozart and Hör mein Bitten of Mendelssohn. She is also a member of 2 ensembles of early music: ‘Udite!’ and ‘Rood Hout’. They perform regularly, and in February 2013 the first cd of ‘Rood Hout’ was a fact.

Besides her work as a spoprano solist, Linde develops contemporary music theatre with classic singing, under the name of VOX Music Theatre (voxmuziektheater.nl). Her programme ‘Vers Hartzeer’ with baroque and new solocantates won the ‘Almost Famous Award 2010’ of the Ostadetheater in Amsterdam. Linde is part of the collective Kameroperahuis, with whom she plays “Leonore’s Fidelio’ during the Operadagen Rotterdam. (Photo E.Wenting)

Arjen Leendertz | Opera

Arjen studied classical double bass at the Rotterdam Conservatory with Peter Leerdam and graduated for his Masters degree in June 2007. In 2007, 2008 and 2009 he took part in masterclasses with Duncan McTier in Sion, Switzerland. He also had masterclasses with Rinat Ibragimov Ekkehard Beringer, Stephan Petzolt, Silvio Dalla Torre, Peter Luit, Teppo Hauta-Aho and David Heyes.

Arjen is a member of the double bass section of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. He is often invited to work as an extra player with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Netherlands Philharmonic, and as guest Principal in the North Netherlands Orchestra. At the Rotterdam Conservatory Arjen became Double bassist of the tango department orchestra named “OTRA”, they went on tour to Argentina in 2006. Arjen is a member of the Gustavo Beytelmann trio and has also worked with other tango ensembles, notably Quarteto Mala Pinta, Quinteto El Despues (in Paris) and Quinteto Zárate.

Florien Hilgenkamp | Opera

The Dutch soprano Florien Hilgenkamp received her Master of Music degree from the Codarts University of the Arts in Rotterdam. She received a prize awarded by the public of the “Prix d’Harmonie” competition in Rotterdam. She gave a solo recital at Carnegie Hall in New York (Netherlands American Community Trust). She performed repertoire of Schumann on the Dutch Radio 4 in the show Viertakt Podium. Florien has sung the soprano soloist of the cantatas and passions of Bach and religious words of Händel, Purcell, Fauré, Buxtehude and Vivaldi. She was the soprano soloist in Magnificat(Bach), conducted by Philip Pickett. She also sang solo in modern repertoire like Dances (L. Andriessen, Codarts Symphony Orchestra) and Folk Songs (Berio, Rotterdam Ensemble). She worked with conductors like Roy Goodman, Henk Guittart and Hans Leenders.

Marielle Verdijk | Opera

Marielle Verdijk is a scenographer and organizer in the music- and music theatre scene.Until recently she worked as a programmer and organizer for DE PLAYER, a polymorph production platform for experimental music, performance and art. Her scenographic work for theater and ensembles is characterized by simple gestures and tactility.

At the moment she is active as a member of TRICKSTER, a multidisciplinary performance collective with a focus on group-dynamics and the mechanisms of instant collaboration. With backgrounds in art, music and theatre, TRICKSTER uses the concept of 'emergent-form composition', a very open structure in which the performers discover or create forms together, without any preconceived ideas about how the performance should look like. Continuous interaction between individual and group create an ever evolving and fragile edifice of sound, movement, object, action and text.

Yannick Hiwat | Jazz

Yannick Hiwat (1988) began playing the violin at the age of six. He studied at the Rotterdam Conservatory and at the Conservatory of Tilburg. Yannick was captain of the Dutch Student Orchestra 20, Primarius of Farfalla String, Captain of the Youth Orchestra of the Netherlands, Captain of the Euregio Youth Orchestra and concertmaster of the Sweelinck Orchestra. He studies jazz violin at Tim Cliff House, and is busy with his own concept, the Yannick Hiwat Quartet (s). He is the permanent violinist of the Re:Freshed Orchestra, and in addition to his work in classical music, Yannick is also a well asked session musician for light music.

He worked with Ronan Keating, Sabrina Starke, La Rouge, Renee Flemming, Pan Afrikanz, Phatt, Gerard Joling, Pete Philly, Zap Mama, Renee Neufville, Karsu Donmez, City Safari Blue and many others. His broad musical training in many genres has brought him to major concert halls in The Netherlands, Belgium, Mozambique, South Africa, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, Spain, Italy, Norway, Sweden and Finland. (Photo Monteiro Fotografie)

Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing | Jazz

Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing (1987) is a singer/actress. She is born in a family of musicians. Both her father and mother are passionate musicians. Yootha followed in her parents footsteps in 2006 when she debuted on the soundtracks of the dutch movie 'Kicks' and has since then started to work on her own music, varying from old soul to the heavier rock stuff. Blame Jimi. In 2010 she went on tour as a support act for Postman, a defining moment in the beginning of her career.

In 2012 she graduated in Social Science, only to pursue her real dreams even further. At the moment she's just finished shooting the the motion picture "the Price of Sugar" (Directed by Jean van de Velde; "All Stars", "De Kleine Blonde Dood" and Wit Licht) in which she landed the lead part, while recording her debut EP. It may seem impossible, until it's done! (Photo Eric van Nieuwland)

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Lisa van Noorden | Art

Lisa van Noorden runs a studio specialized in art applications for public and private spaces. The techniques she uses to create her artworks range from traditional techniques to interactive installations.

Besides working on commissioned art Lisa is very active as an artist. Her drawings are very accurate, precise and full of emotion.

For Wake Up In Art Lisa offers her spacious studio in the citycenter (the Chinatown of Rotterdam) and will happily show you the treasures that hide there.
During the evening she will join you for drinks to chitchat about Rotterdam, making art, politics, Dutch art and culture or just plain nonsense.

Maurice Meeuwisse | Art

In his work Maurice Meewisse seeks to portray the hard working manual labourer. He looks for a heroic portrayal of man willing to sacrifice himself out of a necessity, the image of uncompromising strength. He removes this worker from history and present him as a mythical figure outside of time.

In this age of digital production and computer-engineered flawlessness, he tries to distillate a back-to-basics approach to manual labour, to take an aesthetic view on the physicality of work.
In the days before our current jobscope, which often consists of rather ephemeral tasks, work was physical and workers created tangible differences in their environments during their work days.

Anique Weve | Art

Her work essentially has two sides; an actively involved side (the audience's side) and a passive look on the world (registering). These two sides grow closer to each other, strive is to create a work in which aesthetic still image and active involvement of the audience come together.

Some of her works play with the social conventions and hierarchies of society, in a way that is both anarchistic and warm. The active involvement of the audience helps them to look at things differently and situates a research about the dynamics of social standards.

The urge to create an aesthetic image is more apparent in her photographic work, where she captures the feelings and contacts into a visual frame. In these works she looks for an image in which she can emphasize and expand her astonishments and fascinations, by directly visualizing them.

Dirk van Lieshout | Art

Dirk van Lieshout (Deurne ,1973) makes installations, models, drawings, mobile studios and public works. His work is often strongly connected to the context of a place; the term site-specific and the concepts movement and performance characterize his work. Using these concepts he has built and continues to build installations and mobile studios around the world.

He recently showed his work in Xiamen, Beijing and Guanzhou (China) and did there several 'Tea performances'. In April 2013 there will be the opening of a new commissioned public sculpture he made for Hoofddorp.

NIna Hitz | Opera

Nina Hitz was born in Switzerland, is currently living in The Netherlands and finished her graduate studies in Baroque cello at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. A very active, questing spirit who consistently seeks the unknown in life and in music, in addition to baroque music, Hitz is active with experimental music, improvisation and theatrical performances.

She is a member of Belfontis, with Forte Piano player Kaoru Iwamura, where they are specialized in early romantic music, Traces and Resonances, with dancer Sato Endo, Jargon, with leader Maurice Horsthuis. She has played in theater- and dance productions of Orkater, Olivier Provily, ‘t Barre Land, Scapino Ballet Rotterdam and les Ballets C de la B.

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Isabella Scholte | Opera/Jazz

Isabella Scholte, singer with a wide repertoire; from classical music and opera to musicals and light music! After her classic conservatory training (Rotterdam and Dresden) she sang as a solist in various concerts, like 'The Medium' (G.C. Menotti), “Petite Messe Solemnelle” (G. Rossini), “Mattheus Passion” (J.S. Bach), “Messe des Morts” (J. Gilles), “Das Buch der Hangenden Garten” (Schonberg) and “Die Zauberflote” (W.A. Mozart). She's part of singers act 'Noblesse Oblige'.

Besides being a host for Wake up in Opera, Isabella also organizes a special evening with music (by Isabella) and food (by Mucho Gusto). This event will take place during Operadagen Rotterdam. Book for this dinner/music evening at info@wakeupinit.com

Keimpe de Jong | Opera/Jazz

Keimpe de Jong (1957) graduated in 1981 from the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. He operates as a composer and player in the field of musictheatre and modern opera: songs, sung monologues, instrumental- and theatrical scene and underscore.

For the 'Hofplein Youth Theatre', he composed music for dramatizations of 'Odysseus' travels', 'Animal farm' and 'Don Quixote'. For the RO theater he wrote music for 'Reuzen', 'We zijn blij' and 'Het Misverstandt.

Since 15 years he writes the music for the theater monologues of John Buysman: often biographical plays about famous jazz-musicians, poets, boxers and other men living on the edge.
Press about 'De Broekneus': "Musician Keimpe de Jong creates a wonderful new genre: the opera of fornication"(NRC)

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Karin Netten | Opera

Karin Netten studied for stage director at the Regie Opleiding of the Theaterschool (Amsterdam). For her graduation play ‘De Nacht, de Moeder van de Dag’ she received an honourable mention of the Ton Lutz jury at the ITs festival 2008. Netten directs repertoire theatre, new texts, musictheatre and improvised performances. She worked (a.o.) for the Ro-theater, Productiehuis Brabant and the Kameroperahuis.

Currently she is a director and a trailblazer for the collective Kameroperahuis. Her goal as a director is to develop and expand the opera and musical theatre genre together with talented members of her own generation. Her further ambition is to inform and enthuse the wider public about these artforms. Karin is a team player, and her dream is to create a new opera that will remain in the repertoire for many years to come. She wants to create moving, tragicomic musical theatre performances allowing the talents of all those involved to blossom.

Rotterdamse Salon / Anja Berkelaar | Opera

It is a miracle this 18 " century building is still there. It survived the bombing of Rotterdam in 1940, the fire following it, a shell in the roof and modern threats like urban renewal plans.

The Rotterdamse Salon is inspired by the French Salon, known for 'either to please or to educate'. Exchange of idea's, Enlightment, idealistic views on politeness, civility and honesty were the main forces behind the succes back then. Our 21" century Salon breathes the Rotterdam Spirit. You are invited to breath with us; People, minds and senses are stimulated. Part of the activities is organized by Salonnière Anja Berkelaar. She has a preference for modern opera and theater concerts, and likes to welcome you as a guest to spend the night at the Rotterdamse Salon. The Salonnière will serve you breakfast and would like to have an artistic conversation with you!

Linda Kreuzen | Jazz

‘For me, music is emotion. It needs to be so touching that it brings tears to my eyes… I want it to make me shout and simultaneously silence me. What is more beautiful than to be able to arouse those feelings myself?’

Singer-songwriter Linda Kreuzen evokes with her powerful voice a wide range of emotions: strength and optimism, sadness and despair. Her soulful performances and raw sound betray a certain amount of life experience and make the songs and stories even more authentic. She's been compared to Melanie and Janis Joplin. In the summer of 2012 Linda took part in the national television show "The Best Singer- Songwriter of the Netherlands". Since then she has performed on many stages in the Netherlands and Belgium, even appearing in Thailand and Malaysia. In October 2012, she released her debut EP containing four original songs. In February of this year Linda released the music video for her song 'Run Run Run'. (Photo Hugo Goudswaard)

Maaike den Dunnen | Jazz

She composes, writes lyrics and arrangements, leads her own projects, plays the piano now and then and…. sings! With one foot solidly rooted in the jazz-tradition, she explores new paths with the other. She delivers any kind of music with an infectious energy and a fair amount of vocal improvisation. She worked with a.o.: RTV Big Band (SI), the European Jazz Orchestra and the North Sea Jazz Festival (2011).

She founded her own group Maaike den Dunnen European Quintet and 'Jazzin’ Je Moerstaal', a project with original music that creates an cross-over between jazz and the Dutch language. She participated in various masterclasses and private lessons with guest teachers such as Jay Clayton, Jim McNeely, Deborah Brown, Darmon Meader and many more. In 2010, den Dunnen travelled to New York (USA) to take lessons and sing at various jam-sessions (in jazz-clubs such as Smoke, Smalls, Fat Cat, etc). To learn more about the musical projects that den Dunnen is leading and participating in, please check her site. (Photo Jan Hordijk)

Gabby Bakker | Jazz

Gabby Bakker (1968) graduated as an actress at the 'Utrecht School of Arts' in 1992. After a few years she decided to study at the Conservatory of the University of the Arts London, vocal, light music. Since her graduation, she worked as an actress in several (music) theater productions. Bakker played for a long time in theater Alum in Utrecht. Currently she is a regular guest at the orchestra Affiliate. Bakker also writes and directs music theater for herselve, and occasionally for small performances with young artists. Bakker worked with Erik Fast, Jan Ritsema, Helmert Woudenberg, Monique Corvers, Peter Kramer, Loes Luca, Harry Piekema, Keimpe de Jong, Daphne Brown, Paul Feld and Ramses Graus.

For a while now, Gabby Bakker teaches actors in training at the HKU, DOX and Codarts. Besides all the activities in the theater she sings in/with different formations and bands: frau bakker, The Great Gallery and Stetson. She works with Andreas Suntrop, Jasper le Clercq, Keimpe de Jong, Roel Spanjers and Zangmakers.

Ron-Le-Bass | Jazz

Ron-Le-Bass presents Pure Groove. The founding father of Ron-Le-Bass is bass player Ronle Rouse, who toured many years with several reggae- and pop artists. He felt it was time to follow his heart and return to his first loves: soul and funk.

Pure Groove takes you on a journey through the 80’s and 90’s with a mix of funk, soul, R&B and hiphop. Pure groove is also a gathering of 20+ musicians and artists, who wanted to share their love for pure music. The message of Pure Groove is to bring people together through music: Music makes the world go round. (Photo Jaden Reed)

Patrick Kruithof | Art

Patrick Kruithof (1968) considers himself a multidisciplinary person. Educated as an industrial designer he is both entrepreneur, writer, photographer, adventurer and artist. He developed several concepts and products in which sustainability plays a major role and advised small and larger companies on making their products more endurable. Kruithof's research has been focused on useful applications for new sustainable materials. His products, stories and articles have been published in magazines, professional journals, newspapers and The Design Encyclopedia. His current business The Moment Company aims to stimulate sustainability awareness by creating and selling sustainable experiences.

Ann Pettersson | Art

"Ann Pettersson's photographs have intense, concentrated colours, sometimes dark and sometimes intangibly light. Occasionally it seems as though you are viewing a fragment of a dream, a visual residue. Pettersson's work can assume grand proportions, for instance when she photographs a vast, grey-blue sky, with white clouds stuttering in staccato. The clouds appear to be reproduced, but each one has its own outward appearance. This grand gesture - just capturing a sky is no simple matter - nonetheless remains beautiful and unassuming. That is a strange contradiction: the crowns of trees were created to be imposing. And when Pettersson portrays them they are just that, but without losing a human scale." writes Machteld Leij in Kunstbeeld # 2, 2011.

You are most welcome to be a part of our life for a few days if you wish, or just use our house. Mi Casa Es Su Casa.
Ann Pettersson

Pim Palsgraaf | Art

The dichotomy between nature and industry, the organic and inorganic, is a fundamental aspect of Pim Palsgraaf's work. Palsgraaf's studio is found in Spaanse Polder, a desolate industrial area in the city of Rotterdam. This environment is integral to his art, as for him, it resonates both veneration and disdain.

In the "Multiscape" series, Palsgraaf examines the effects of architectural urban expansion through sculptural forms. The invasive qualities of this growth is apparent in his embedding of cityscapes into taxidermic animals. In this series, the often combative relationship between nature and culture is explored and even questioned by viewer as the tumorous city seems to overcome the animal and bring it to its knees.
In his related series of paintings, Palsgraaf's focuses on the perspective his sculptures cannot reach. In these clandestine interiors, the viewer discovers deserted rooms, damp corridors and ceilings in danger of sudden collapse. Revealing their decline, Palsgraaf's environments of men are slowly reclaimed by nature.

Machyta Giebels | Art

As a multidisciplinary artist Machyta is inspired by events in society. His own memories, experiences, visions and emotions also contribute to his creative input.

Machyta’s father, who has passed away, was a refugee from Equatorial Guinea. Machyta’s paintings often are a fierce charge against selfishness, violence, abuse of power and lack of love. At the same time they also portray tenderness, protection, empathy and compassion.

The last 10 years Machyta developed a technique he named ‘sculpting’ in which he prepares canvas or panels with mortar and pigments. After the mortar has dried out he carves in images with steel brushes, scrapers and metal pencils to create his strong relief paintings.

Connected to 24 Uur Cultuur (Sept 14-15 2013), Hotel Rotterdam offers adventurous overnight stays in the studios and homes of professionals in Art, Opera or Jazz. Prices are € 60,- for one, € 100,- for two persons, including breakfast. Read more >