Efe is already a familiar face within the Codarts Jazz community. In recent years, he has regularly been involved with Codarts as a guest teacher, sharing his artistic experience and professional expertise with students. His appointment as a permanent member of the faculty marks a new chapter in this collaboration.
Born in Turkey and based in Rotterdam, Efe Erdem has built a broad, internationally oriented career spanning jazz, funk, soul, pop, theatre, Global Musics and contemporary performance. Alongside his work as a trombonist, he is active as a composer, arranger, producer and DJ.
From Codarts student to international artist
Efe began his classical training at Hacettepe University Ankara State Conservatory before moving to the Netherlands to study at Codarts. During his time at Codarts, he worked with trombonists Bart van Lier and Ilja Reijngoud and graduated from the Jazz department in 2012. He subsequently continued his artistic development at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam.
Since graduating, Efe has built an impressive international career. He has performed at and in leading festivals and venues, including North Sea Jazz Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival and Blue Note Tokyo. He has also collaborated with internationally renowned artists such as Tony Allen, Marcus Miller, Victor Wooten, Roy Hargrove, Benny Golson, Snarky Puppy and KNOWER.
Within the Dutch music scene, Efe has also worked with many well-known artists, including Anouk, DI-RECT, Candy Dulfer, Karsu, Ladies of Soul and Shirma Rouse. He has also performed as a soloist with the Metropole Orkest and regularly works with both the Metropole Orkest and the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw.
Efe is keen to bring this broad professional experience - both on stage and behind the scenes - into his teaching at Codarts.
A versatile trombone section
Head of Jazz and Head of Master of Music Yaşam Hancılar is delighted to welcome Efe as a permanent colleague:
“We are very happy to have Efe joining our permanent Jazz team. He has already been part of our community as a guest teacher, so it feels very natural to now welcome him as a permanent colleague. Together with our trombone faculty member Ilja Reijngoud and Artist in Residence Andy Hunter, Efe brings an exciting combination of different generations, musical backgrounds and professional experiences to our trombone section. His versatility, international experience and curiosity about different musical worlds will be a great asset to our students and to the wider Jazz community at Codarts.”
For Efe, education is closely connected to the same curiosity that characterises his own artistic practice. For him, the role of a teacher is not simply about passing on knowledge, but about helping students discover and develop their own artistic identity.
“Music has always been about exploration for me. I believe musicians grow by staying curious, crossing boundaries and remaining open to different sounds and influences. As a teacher, I want to help students trust their instincts, develop their own artistic voice and shape an identity that truly feels like their own.”
With Efe joining the permanent faculty, the Codarts Jazz trombone section brings together different generations, musical backgrounds and professional perspectives. His international career and experience across a wide range of musical worlds will offer students new perspectives on both their artistic development and the realities of a professional career in music.
Yaşam Hancılar, Head of Codarts Jazz: “We are delighted to welcome Efe as a permanent member of our Jazz department and look forward to seeing how his experience, curiosity and artistic versatility will inspire our students.”