the programme
Would you like to improvise on Dizzy Gillespie’s music? Take part in a jam session at the jazz café? Attend workshops with the top of the international jazz world? It is all possible in Rotterdam! Because studying at the Rotterdam Jazz Academy is a lot more than just taking classes: in the course of your studies, you will perform on stage, meet guest teachers from all over the world and join in a lively informal exchange with a choice selection of musicians who define jazz in the Netherlands and beyond.
The Rotterdam Jazz Academy (RJA), part of the Rotterdam Conservatoire (RC), offers students a lively surrounding where they can develop themselves fully both as a person and as a musician. Graduates from Rotterdam stand out in the international jazz scene because of their high artistic level. At the RJA you are trained to become not just a good musician, but also a creative one, who keeps an open mind for new developments and experiences. Classes are given by (guest) teachers who have all more than won their spurs in professional practice and who can stimulate you to fully deploy and use your talents.
The RJA offers two programmes: jazz and composition/arranging.
Jazz has ten main subjects: bass guitar, double bass, drums, flute, guitar, piano, saxophone, trombone, trumpet, and voice, available in both the bachelor and the master programmes. Besides these main subjects, all students take minors such as music theory and history, didactics, and cultural entrepreneurship.
Besides the instrumental main subjects, ensembles play an important part in the curriculum. By playing in various ensembles, students come into contact with the rich tradition of jazz, practicing various styles such as bebop, hardbop, modal jazz, Latin jazz, free jazz and fusion. Rehearsals and performances take place in a variety of line ups, from jazz quintets to big bands. Crossovers/mixed formats – especially with world music – are key elements in these ensembles and projects. Through crossovers, new and adventurous roads are constantly explored.
The availability of so many different musical genres also makes it possible to pay attention to the most recent developments, such as elements from the dance scene. Our highly qualified teachers can provide you with firsthand knowledge of the latest developments in electronic and world music traditions.
The professional practice
During your study, you can profit from the many international contacts the RJA has developed. The idea is to give you an opportunity to measure your knowledge and opinions about music against what is happening in other places around the world.
The RJA has a collaboration agreement with the University of New Orleans (UNO) in the United States, the cradle of jazz and rhythm & blues. There are also exchange programmes with the Sibelius Academy of Helsinki, the Rhythmic Conservatory of Music of Copenhagen and the conservatoire in Graz. We also maintain close contacts with many national and international top musicians, orchestras and bands. Every year, the curriculum features some 50 master classes and projects with internationally renowned jazz musicians.
Rotterdam
The RJA is based in Rotterdam, a young city with a young population. Each year 50.000 students study at HBO/WO level. Rotterdam is an international city, a world port for trade that is internationally orientated by tradition. The city's population is made up of over 160 nationalities, a true melting pot. There is a rich cultural scene with many theatres, cinemas, concert venues, orchestras, dance companies, museums, and art galleries. Rotterdam also has a lot of ‘applied art’ and takes pride in hosting quite a number of festivals, including the International Film Festival Rotterdam and the Gergiev Festival. And thanks to the North Sea Jazz Festival, the Festival North Sea Round Town, Jazz International Rotterdam, the Codarts Summerschool Jazz Around The World, the Rotterdam Jazz Orchestra, jazz cafés such as Dizzy and the RJA, Rotterdam is also a real jazz city.
To conclude
- After completion of the programme the student receives the title Bachelor of Music (BMus)
- Click here for the Teaching and Examination Regulations
- The language of instruction is Dutch, and English for foreign students
- Codarts maintains the international code of conduct with respect to higher education
- Students follow the programme Music 34739
- The programme was accredited on 31-12-2004 (www.nvao.net)
Hein Van de Geyn (artistic manager RJA):
'The Rotterdam Jazz Academy takes a unique place within the jazz schools in the world. The Rotterdam Conservatoire with its five academies is able to create a wide-open learning environment for students from all over the world. In an ever-changing musical world the Rotterdam Jazz Academy tries to play an active role as a place where tradition and future meet'.
Jacob Smit (student trumpet):
‘For me Rotterdam is an ideal place to study music. The Rotterdam Conservatoire organises more (trumpet) master classes and workshops than any of the other conservatoires and there is the added bonus of the close collaboration between the RJA and the programme Latin/Latin Jazz/Brazilian at the Rotterdam World Music Academy. There are many big band projects and the highlights of the year are the annual concerts together with the Symphonic Jazz Orchestra and our performances at the North Sea Jazz Festival. There is just so much you can do here, at this school, and the overall atmosphere is really okay, with everyone trying to get the best possible results musically.’
