Biografia

Guitarist, musicologist, jazz history teacher, head of the jazz department of the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, The Netherlands. In 1977, he graduated from the Conservatory in Arnhem, The Netherlands on classical guitar. In 1983, graduated 'cum laude' from the University of Amsterdam in musicology.

In 1985, he switched from assistant director of the Music Lyceum, the Amsterdam Music School, to head of the jazz department of the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, The Netherlands, as position he holds till today.

In 1989 started to teach jazz history at the University of Utrecht as an associated professor. In 2002 started to teach the history of jazz at the Leiden University as a free elective for students of various faculties.

In 1989 with saxophonist David Liebman co-founded the IASJ, the International Association of Schools of Jazz, www.iasj.com

In September 2014 started research on the historiography of the history of jazz in Europe as a master of music student at the jazz department of the Royal Conservatory. A grant of the Ministry of Education in The Netherlands enabled him to enrol for two years to do the research component of the master of music study.