Pianist Harmen Fraanje was born in 1976 in Roosendaal (The Netherlands). During the last ten years he lived in Tilburg but at the moment he’s about to move to Amsterdam. Harmen is very active in the international jazz scene, excelling in some of Hollands’ most succesfull groups, with some of the finest musicians in Europe.

He’s developed an authentic voice, a very honest personal approach towards music. He’s an artist on a tireless quest for creativity, new collaborations and new horizons; open for all kinds of music, from classical music, to improvisation, from centuries-old Pygmy chants to Duke Ellington with John Coltrane, he’s always trying to embody the music to be able to speak in his own unique language. That he’s succeeding to communicate with his music, can be easily concluded, observing the warm responses from audiences all over the world.

In 2006 Harmen has been nominated for the Paul Ackett Award, formerly known as the Bird Award; the most important jazz award in the Netherlands, granted by the North Sea Jazz Festival. In 2004 Harmen received the North Sea Jazz Composition Assignment. In 2007 Harmen was chosen as VIP 2007 by the Dutch Jazz Clubs.

His freedom to be able to easily find inspiration in the music he comes in contact with, make it inevitable to participate in numerous groups, without exception groups he really enjoys to be part of. His current self-created projects involve solo performances, a trio with the eccentric Dutch cellist Ernst Reijseger and the mystical Senegalese singer/percussionist Mola Sylla, a dynamic pianotrio with some young stars from Holland, a duo with Igor Roma, one of the greatest classical Masterpianists of the world; a sensitive duo with Ntjamrosie, a beautiful singer from Cameroon, Aneris, a very intuitive trio with Brice Soniano and Toma Gouband, inviting Europe’s top improvisers like Magic Malik, Michael Moore and Fredrik Ljungkvist.

As a sideman Harmen is performing in several attractive award winning groups; like Fugimundi, the trio with Eric Vloeimans and Anton Goudsmit, touring throughout the whole world. Fugimundi received an Edison for their debut album, the most prestigious award for CD’s in Holland. Besides this he’s a member of Anton Goudsmit’s The Ploctones, Lievestro 6, the Michael Moore Quartet, Oxymore and a group of Brazilian guitarplayer Nelson Veras.

As a leader Harmen has made two CD’s, ‘Sonatala’ and ‘Ronja’, both for Challenge Records, with Nelson Veras, Magic Malik, Hein van de Geyn and Matthieu Chazarenc. As a sideman he recorded several CD’s with amongst others Eric Vloeimans, Anton Goudsmit, Michael Moore, Magic Malik, Nelson Veras, Ernst Reijseger, Jesse van Ruller and John Ruocco.

Sheer Music has released a new Real Book in winter 2005; this Real Book contains Harmens composition Sonatala.

During the last years Harmen has been performing on festivals and clubs all over the world. Harmen has played on international festivals in Paris, Berlin, Roma, Oslo, Bangkok, St. Petersburg, Vienna, Kosice, North Sea, Budapest, Reykjavik, Clusone, Brussels, Cap Breton, Trondheim, Sibiu,Madrid, Grenoble, Addis Abeba, Nairobi, Tanger, Avignon, Singapore, to name some...(blabla!!)

Future concerts in Bergerac, Detroit, Washington D.C., Miami, Oakland, Santa Cruz, Anchorage, Burlington, Seattle, Bangalore, Mumbai, Brazil/Argentina.

Harmen played with musicians like: Mark Turner, Magic Malik, Kenny Wheeler, Jeff Ballard, Ali Jackson, Philip Catherine, Nelson Veras, Elvin Jones (just 1 tune, but a tune is a tune), Michael Moore, Hein van de Geyn, Metropole Orchestra, Zapp String Quartet, Mats Eilertsen, Toma Gouband, Cristina Branco, Brice Soniano, Stéphane Galland, Rick Margitza, Jesse van Ruller, Reggie Washington, John Ruocco, Han Bennink, Anton Goudsmit, Jasper Blom, Ernst Reijseger, Eric Vloeimans, Bert Joris, (actually I lied about Elvin, it was the half of the tune, the other half was played by Peter Beets), Jimmy Haslip, John Engels, Dutch Jazzorchestra of the Concertgebouw, Nils Ostendorf, Martin France, Dré Pallemaerts, Guillaume Orti, Michael Vatcher, Guilhem Verger, Bert van den Brink, Thomas Strönen, Olivier Steidle, Nils Wogram, Fredrik Ljungkvist, Mola Sylla

For all bookings please contact management:

info@harmenfraanje.nl