Release Fantasía por Tanguillos on ZenneZ Records
26 februari 2024
The composition 'Fantasía por Tanguillos' (2023) was written by Bernard van Rossum, who won the Rogier van Otterloo Award in 2022 with the Jong Metropole. The piece was performed and recorded last summer in the Caprera open-air theater. 'Tanguillo' is a folk variant of the tangos from Cádiz, a polyrhythmic flamenco style. The flamenco rhythm illustrates the feeling of motion originating in Cádiz’s traditional carnavals. A simple motif travels through a timeline of varying landscapes, much like a passenger looking out a train window. Fantasy can be light or dark, two poles in dialogue as the piece unfolds and moves between a darker key and the brighter key.
Bernard van Rossum (saxophonist, composer, arranger) grew up in a multicultural environment, born and raised in Spain with an English mother and a Dutch father. He leads, composes and arranges for the "BvR Flamenco Big Band". This orchestral Flamenco-Jazz ensemble has released 3 critically acclaimed albums and has collaborated with top Flamenco artists such as Antonio Serrano or Carles Benavent. Bernard is also a teacher at the Conservatory of Amsterdam and Codarts Rotterdam. In addition to arranging his own music, he is an arranger for other ensembles like Nederlands Blazers ensemble and the Ricciotti Ensemble. He is also a versatile sideman playing in acclaimed projects like the Vuma Levin Quintet, Sam Newbould Quintet or Vernon Chatlein group.
His composing and arranging have earned him various accolades, among the most recent the "Rogier van Otterloo award 2022", "Concurso de arreglos de big band SGAE 2022" and the “Canarias Big Band Composition Contest 2021”. With the BvR Flamenco Big Band he also won the Meerjazz International Big Band competition in 2014 as well as the best soloist prize and the Keep an Eye on Jazz “Records” award in 2015.
Jury report Rogier van Otterloo Award 2022
The artistic team of Jong Metropole, headed by conductor and composer Tom Cohen, awarded the Rogier van Otterloo Award to Bernard van Rossum in 2022.
"Bernard van Rossum is a passionate musician, but also a passionate composer and arranger, especially for large ensembles. Composing is a talent, but focusing on large ensembles is another dimension and requires different skills. With his Flamenco Big Band, Bernhard has added a new sound to the conventional Big Band repertoire. He has also written for other extensive ensembles and his thorough training, his beautiful playing and the miles he has already made as a composer and arranger are clearly audible and deserve recognition. With the composition assignment for the Jong Metropole, Bernard van Rossum can delve even further into his imaginative sound spectrum."
Rogier van Otterloo Award
The Rogier van Otterloo Award is the prize for the best young orchestra leader/composer/arranger/conductor of the moment. After the selection round of this jury, the final winner will be chosen from the last 3 (or 2) nominees under the leadership of Jong Metropole conductor Tom Cohen. The Rogier van Otterloo Award is financed by the Cultuurfonds.
Listen to 'Fantasía por Tanguillos' on Spotify!