Soloist Final

The admissions panel of the European Keep an Eye Jazz Award 2011 has selected the following soloists for the European Soloist Final on Sunday 3rd of April.

Espen Bjarnar
Instrument: guitar
Institute: Institutt for musikk, NTNU. Trondheim, Norway

Phil Meadows
Instrument: alto saxophone
Institute: Leeds College of Music, UK

John Arman
Instrument: guitar
Institute: The Anton-Bruckner University in Linz, Austria

Wilfried Wilde
Instrument: guitar
Institute: MUSIKENE, School for high degree music studies in the Vask Country, Spain

Elena Mindru
Instrument: voice
Institute: “Gheorghe Dima” Academy of Music Cluj Napoca , Romania

All soloists will be accompanied by the following trio:

Hans Vroomans
Alfredo Paixao
Bobby Petrov

Hans Vroomans
Pianist Hans Vroomans is a member of the celebrated Metropole Orchestra in the Netherlands. He tours the world as bandleader and pianist with well known singers like Laura Fygi and Trijntje Oosterhuis. Hans also plays the piano with the Rotterdam Jazz Orchestra and teaches jazz‐piano at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. Currently a member of "Who's the Bossa?" a group with Brazilian guitarist Nelson Faria, drummer Kiko Freitas and bassist Ney Cenceicao as well as singer Josee Koning and cellist Daniel Pezzotti.
 
Alfredo Paixao
Alfredo Paixao is one of the most in-demand and respected bass players in Italy and beyond. His expansive resume of recordings includes orazon partio and el alma al aire by Alejandro Sanz, both of whom won Latin Grammy awards and sold millions of copies worldwide, Nina Pastori's Canailla and Vicente Amigo's la ciudad de las ideas (also a Latin Grammy winner). Alfredo has also recorded with Armando Manzanero, Ketama, Pino Daniele, Emanuel and Laura Pausini, to name only a few. World Rhythm, Ogum, and Fala Baixo are some of his recordings as a soloist.
 
Bobby Petrov
After participating in numerous projects and bands in Bulgaria, Borislav (Bobby) Pertov moved to Holland where he studies with Martijn Vink, Lucas van Merwijk and Joost van Schaik. His energetic approach to music, drive and great talent cannot remain hidden for long and soon he starts playing with herds of musicians: Benjamin Herman, Jesse van Ruler, Eric Vloeimans, Izaline Calister, Dimitar Bodurov, Martin Fondse, Franz von Chossy, Joris Roelofs, Esra Dalfidan, Yaniv Nachum, Mappi Quintana and many more.
Inspired by his cultural heritage he incorporates Bulgarian rhythms in jazz and writes a thesis on the matter. His final exam in 2007 gets rewarded with a 9,5 and means the birth of the Modern Balkan Big Band, arranged and directed by Alex Simu. Other groups that Bobby Petrov is involved with are Bobby Petrov Band, Tarhana, Theodossii Spassov Quartet, Amsterdam Jazz Orchestra, Franz von Chossy Trio, Suna Quintet, Stageband and Renske Taminiau & Band.