Bram Stadhouders (Tilburg, 1987) is a prominent figure in the Dutch jazz and improvisation scene and has established his name in the contemporary composed and electronic music world. His music moves between ambient, classical, and jazz, combining composition and improvisation with digital techniques.

With fourteen CDs to his name and extensive tours in the Netherlands and abroad, Bram Stadhouders has proven his musical versatility. In 2008, he was chosen as Young VIP by the Music Centre Netherlands (MCN), and in 2011, he was named the Netherlands’ most interesting guitar talent by November Music. The North Sea Jazz Composition assignment of 2012, which he realized with the Netherlands Chamber Choir, is a highlight of his career. This project, called Henosis, was performed fifteen times on prominent Dutch stages and festivals.

Bram’s innovative spirit is also evident in projects such as the composition Cantata for tenor voice, electronics, and guitar, performed in the Netherlands and Istanbul, and the groundbreaking Bram Stadhouders & The Big Barrel Organ, where he controlled the world’s largest mobile traditional dance organ live through his guitar. His project “Orbit” with a special surround guitar demonstrates his ongoing quest for new sonic experiences.

Since 2015, Bram has been part of “Under the Surface” with singer Sanne Rambags and Joost Lijbaart. This collaboration has brought him to international stages in countries such as Mali, India, Bhutan, China, Colombia, Norway, Mexico, Rwanda, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and Egypt. With over 800 concerts in more than 60 countries and collaborations with artists like Arve Henriksen, Sidsel Endresen, Nils Petter Molvaer, and Jim Black, Bram has built a rich musical network.

In addition to his work within Western contexts, Bram has intensely collaborated with non-Western musical influences. His strength in free improvisation makes him flexible and able to create musical connections and adapt to fellow musicians. Bram always seeks a “spiritual” core in his work, something that non-Western musicians often recognize and appreciate.

Bram has frequently worked with musicians from different countries. He played with the Bulgarian Voices choir “Angelite” and the Bulgarian kaval player Theodossi Spassov, and collaborated with Azat Bikchurin from Bashkiria. He has also worked with the Polish folklore singer Marta Matuszna Wejchenig.

In South Korea, Bram played with traditional South Korean musicians and instruments, and in Mali, he worked with the renowned Kora player Madou Sidiki Diabaté. For a project by Eric van der Westen, he played with Derya Türkan and Jarrod Cagwin. During the Groningen festival Terug naar het Begin, he collaborated with the famous Mongolian singer Urna.

With Under the Surface, Bram performed in Havana, Cuba, with well-known Cuban musicians, and in Nepal with Nepalese musicians like Dhrubesh Chandra Regmi. In his Surround project Orbit, he played a concert with a singer from Syria. In Indonesia, he made recordings with the traditional Javanese singer Peni Candra Rini and played with a Gamelan ensemble at the Erasmus House. At the Germany Morgenland festival, he worked with Kinan Azmeh. In Jordan, he performed with Ahmad Selawy and in Egypt with local traditional musicians.

In Bhutan, Bram worked with one of the most famous Bhutanese singers, Sonam Dorji, and also played with a traditional Indian group from Rajasthan. In Tajikistan, he collaborated with local traditional musicians and made an arrangement of a local folk song. In 2014, Bram received a “Carte Blanche” from the Amsterdam BIMhuis, where he presented a project to connect African and Western music, with Mousse Pathé M’Baye and Ousmane Mbengue.

Bram has played in the following non-Western countries: Ukraine, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Serbia, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Lithuania, Greece, Macedonia, Turkey, Cape Verde, Mali, Egypt, Rwanda, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Georgia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, South Korea, China, India, Russia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia, Mexico, Colombia, Panama, Peru, Bolivia, Canada, and Cuba.

With his broad international experience and his ability to integrate diverse musical influences, Bram Stadhouders will make a valuable contribution to the project “Afro Anatolian Tales.” His deep knowledge of various musical traditions and his innovative approach make him a suitable candidate to enhance the richness and versatility of this project.