Jan Kooper english
Jan Kooper
Buys his first sax at the age of 14 and starts playing immediately in a band called “Billy and the Bullworkers”.
Guus Tangelder and Joop van Erven were his first teachers at the Jazzworkshop at the Muziekschool Arnhem from 1976 to 1980.
In november 1978 Jan playes his first solo on an LP of Danny Lather
It was recorded at Arnhem Stable Studio.
During highschool Jan joined many groups and playes punk, rock ’n roll, jazz , funk, salsa and everything in between.
After finishing highschool Jan works with a folkband fom Chili for a year. This band was called Amanecer and included Ricardo Cuadros,Yogi Gilles and Silvano Matadin.
Fom 1982 untill 1987 Jan studied at the “Hilversums Conservatorium”
and was touring and recording with (among others) Hans de Booy, Jo Lemaire and Salsaya Big Band.
For his final exams at the conservatory he starts his own band called “Coopertest” , this band continuous to play for 7 years
recording three CD’s and playing at great venues.
At the same time Jan was a member of “The Magnificent 7” a fantastic film orchestra with lots of t.v. appearences and tours.
Still hungry for more he joins “Sinister Project” an initiative by Kim Weemhoff and Dionys Breukers with whom he wins the”Heineken Cross-over Award” in 1993. At that occasion Jan receives the “Conamus Componisten Prijs” for best songwriting.
In 1995 Jan was asked to join “the Sarajevo Festival Ensemble”on their European tour telling the stories of war in Bosnia ,the programme was directed by Haris Pasovic and produced by Peter Brooks.Vanessa Redgrave was one of the quest-actresses.
In that period Jan also played with “Sikter” a punkrock band from Sarajevo.
From 1996 Jan becomes a free-lancer and starts touring and recording for dutch artists such as Ruth Jacott, Herman Brood, Willeke Alberti, Doe Maar, Mathilde Santing and many other artists.
During this period he composes music for theatre productions. To name a few: Schwitters Materiaal, Ten Liefde, Westkaai, Ajax, A Well Fucked up Play, Koopman van Venetie, Romeo en Julia, Gehavend etc.
In the year 2000 Jan forms a horn section together with Iwan van Hetten (trumpet) and Bert Boeren (trombone). They recorded albums with a.o. Doe Maar, Postmen, Clouseau, Paul de Leeuw, Kirsten, Stanley Burleson, Bushira, Daniel Lohues and the Louisiana Blues Club, Guus Meeuwis and many others.
He arranged strings and horns for movies such as "De drie beste dingen van het leven" Pietje Bell 2" and for TV shows like "Klokhuis".
In 2001 Jan is asked to become bandleader for Sister Sledge with whom he played on many festivals like the Nice Jazzfestival and Glastonbury.
At the present time (2005) Jan is working as a film composer (Beggar directed by Bart Klever), is still playing with Sister Sledge and is working together with Jonas Filtenborg on a solo CD...