Luc Houtkamp

Luc Houtkamp (born December 4, 1953 in The Hague ) is a Dutch saxophonist (tenor, soprano), clarinetist, computer musician and composer of jazz and improvising music.

Life

Houtkamp has been playing jazz since 1972, initially with musicians such as Kees Hazevoet (1975) and Sven-Åke Johansson (duo 1973–1975), Martin van Duynhoven (quartet 1975–1977), but from the 1970s he also played in his own groups . In the 1980s he worked a. a. with Ernst Reijseger , Han Bennink (whose workshop he attended in the early 1970s) and Greetje Bijma , in the 1990s with Gert-Jan Prins , Johannes Bauer ( FOURinONE ) and Conrad Bauer , Nicolas Collins , Martin Blume , Ezra Ngcukana and Fred Van Hove . From 2000 to 2001 he played in the trio “Compost” with Misha Mengelberg and Wiel Conen.

Since the mid-1980s he has been developing software that enables him to play interactively with computer-generated tones depending on his own game. The computer program analyzes the music currently being played and, depending on the program, controls additional electronic instruments (synthesizers, sound processors). He has played with musicians such as George Lewis , Peter van Bergen , Wiek Hijmans (Duo 1999 and Duo X-Or 2004) and his own ensembles such as the POW Ensemble , founded in 2001 , which, in his own words, is the ensemble for "chamber music" of the 21st century. In 2005 he received a four-year “research grant” from the Dutch Ministry of Culture (the ensemble is based at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague ). He also works with electronic oud and programs that respond to step dancers.

He also developed and experimented with new techniques in playing the saxophone himself. Houtkamp has founded its own label X-Or.

In 2004 he received the Boy Edgar Prize .

Web links

personal data
SURNAME	Houtkamp, Luc
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Dutch jazz saxophonist, computer musician and composer
DATE OF BIRTH	4th December 1953
PLACE OF BIRTH	The hague