Raaf Hekkema is a multiple prizewinner musician with an adventurous spirit. He gives about a hundred concerts a year worldwide, performing mainly his own arrangements, besides the classical and contemporary saxophone repertoire. For his solo CD ‘Paganini Caprices for Saxophone,’ he was awarded the title ‘Instrumentalist of the year 2007’ by the German Echo Klassik, a prize which was presented during a live TV-gala (ZDF). As Luister puts it, “…without Hekkema’s madness Paganini’s famous caprices would not have existed in a version for saxophone. He plays the Caprices in a way that lets no room for tediousness. Hekkema is mad, but it is a brilliant kind of madness.” As a soloist Hekkema has performed with numerous orchestras in the Netherlands and abroad, as well as given university classes in a number of countries. He is guest professor at the London Guildhall School. His compositions and arrangements are being published by Schott Music.
Raaf Hekkema is a founding member of Calefax Reed Quintet (since 1985), for which he has made hundreds of arrangements, many of which were recorded on CD. Calefax described as a ‘classical ensemble with a pop mentality,’ has played in the major concert halls across the world, appeared on international radio and television and has produced numerous cds. Calefax has won numerous prizes and distinctions.
From the more recent ensemble Raaven, a pop style baroque, 17th century music style with colourful and sweeping versions, Raaf Hekkema is going to give us a taste of the zesty, ecstatic, lyric, melancholic and sometimes rough, raw or weird. Raaven plays as authentic as can be – on today’s instruments with the mindset of the here & now.
Further reading:
- http://www.raafhekkema.com
- http://www.raaven.org
- info@raafhekkema.com
- http://www.calefax.nl/home_en.asp
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