The French-born, Amsterdam-based bass clarinetist-composer started his clarinet studies at the age of six and added the saxophone to his repertoire when he was 12. At the age of 16, he played the clarinet theme in Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue as a soloist with Orkest van het Oosten. In the years 2003-2018, he served as the sound director of the Alto Saxophones in the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw and for five years as a musician in the Vienna Art Orchestra. Over the years, he has made music with numerous jazz stars such as Brad Mehldau, Lionel Loueke, Jeff Ballard and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.
After graduating with a master’s degree from the Amsterdam Conservatory (2007), Joris moved to New York, where he recorded seven of his own recordings, including his debut album Introducing Joris Roelofs (2008) The latest release Rope Dance: Light-Footed Music for All and None (2021) received a five-star review in De Volkskrant and In BBC Music Magazine.
As a composer, Joris has written music for the most diverse ensembles, from solo bassoon to big bands and symphony orchestras. Currently, he works as the coordinator of the jazz clarinet department at the Amsterdam Conservatory, in addition to teaching the instrument, he lectures on the relationship between music and philosophy. In addition to his activities as a teacher and musician, he is doing a dissertation on Nietzsche, improvisation and the idea of freedom and is a member of the international Nietzsche research group in Stuttgart, Germany.
The solo performance heard at the Porvoo Jazz Festival is based on his research on improvisation and politics. Improvisation in the political nation-states of ancient Greece, improvised political speeches, the Austrian Anti-Improvisation Law (1770) and many other topics served as a springboard for Roelofs’ improvisation and compositions.
“Joris has been on my “nonstop” listening since my Dutch drummer friend mentioned his name in 2014. At first I admired his alto saxophone playing on the debut album Introducing Joris Roelofs, but after that the trio albums Aliens deliberating and Amateur dentist, in which Joris plays only bass clarinet, blew my mind ! I am amazed again and again by Joris’s melodiousness, virtuosity and inventiveness, which sound so natural.
Joris is a really versatile and personable player, I’m looking forward to it and I’m really happy that Joris will be in Finland for the first time at the Porvoo Jazz Festival!” -artistic director Max Zenger
“French-born, Amsterdam-based clarinetist Joris Roelofs has built his career balancing intense discipline and deep commitment to post-bop tradition with a measured exploratory streak.” – DownBeat magazine
Joris Roelofs Solo
Sat 30.9. at 17, Porvoo Art Hall
Tickets in advance 20/15/10 (children 6-17 years old) €25 at the door, no age limit
EARLY BIRD TICKETS -€5 untill 15.6.