Trumpet and flugelhorn player Nadje Noordhuis produces a unique sound characterized by a warm, rich tone and a lyrical approach to improvisation. Her performances encompass a full range of musical genres, ranging from the exciting big band arrangements of the DIVA Jazz Orchestra, to exploratory new music duos with glass percussion instruments. Based in New York for the past four years, her quintet seduces the audience with melodic compositions written for a lineup of trumpet, violin, piano, bass and Indian tabla. She has also performed at numerous jazz festivals in Europe, Australia, Asia, U.S.A and Canada; at venues including New York’s Blue Note, Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola and Birdland, and has shared the stage with acclaimed artists including Tom Harrell, Dave Liebman, Jim Black, Ben Monder and Carmen Bradford. Nadje has recently been selected as a semi-finalist for the prestigious 2007 Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition.
Born in Sydney, Australia, in 1977, she began early musical training at the piano from the age of three. Adding the trumpet to the mix in third grade, she played in concert band programs throughout her childhood. Despite playing regularly with her high school big band, (including a tour of California in 1991), it was not until college, studying sound engineering, that she discovered Miles Davis’ seminal album Kind of Blue. This experience altered the future direction of her musical career.
After completing her Bachelor of Arts degree in sound engineering and multimedia, she moved to Melbourne where she attained a Bachelor of Music Performance degree with Honors from the Victorian College of the Arts, majoring in improvisation. During her five years there, she played in an assortment of musical groups, including the Adam Simmons Toy Band, The Quartet (with Tony Gould and David Jones), freelanced with musicians including Michelle Nicolle, Steve Magnusson, Belinda Moody, Julien Wilson and also featured with the Melbourne Womens International Jazz Festival Sextet.
Nadje has been awarded several study scholarships by the Australian Council for the Arts, Alan C. Rose Memorial Project Grant and the Ian Potter Cultural Trust. She was the recipient of a 90% scholarship by Manhattan School of Music, where she gained her Masters of Music degree with a 3.963 GPA in 2005, studying under acclaimed educator Laurie Frink.
As a composer, the fusion of the visual medium with music holds a fascination for Nadje. In 2002, she was commissioned to compose a suite to accompany streetscape photography, which was then performed by her new music group comprised of strings, percussion and trumpet. She has also composed for a number of projects, ranging from combined big band and orchestra scores to composing and performing a live soundtrack to an award winning short film.
Nadje is also in demand as an educator, and has developed and implemented curriculums for student jazz bands as well as managed her private instrumental studio. In 2002, she established a small business in Australia to run improvisation workshops for high school students.
