Biography

Jan Gerrit Adema, born 1970 in Friesland in North Holland. I am a dad, conductor, entrepreneur, arranger, and chocolate lover.  

 
As a conductor, I like to challenge, inspire, and motivate people, as a creator, I arrange and compose music and as an entrepreneur, I run my online music platform Sonolize together with my business partner Kamiel Rietsema. Founded in 2019, this company is a groundbreaking and innovative initiative where composers and arrangers can publish their own music digitally and professionally and where fair practice is paramount. In my free time, I enjoy making music, reading, kickboxing or playing chess with one of my beautiful daughters, and running or hiking in the country. 

Typically, I like to explore the borders of possibility of any orchestra I am conducting, and always in a friendly and relaxed working style. As with the Dordrecht Philharmonic Orchestra and the TOG concert band from Berlicum - great bands with whom I have memorable experiences. Also, with Carmina Burana, Hidas requiem, Percy Grainger concerts, a concert with theremin virtuoso Thorwald Jörgenson, poetry, theatre-shows, a concert at pop-center 013 Tilburg with DJ, and all kind of multimedia projects. Among them, the project about the weaver industry in Tilburg, for which I won the city’s annual art prize. These, together with Multimedia theatre-concert 'Waterstof Festival' are particular concerts I look back to with great joy. 

At the Conservatories of Groningen and Tilburg, I completed my Bachelor's and Master’s degree in conducting and tuba with Lex van Diepen, Ane Travaille, Piet Joris, and Jan Cober. During and after my study, I played tuba with such renowned orchestras as the Dutch Chamber Orchestra with Péter Eötvös, the Symphony Orchestra of North Holland, the Symphony Orchestra of Brabant, Modern Music Ensemble 'De Ereprijs' and the Dutch Royal Air Force Band.

Following these studies, I completed my Bachelor's degree in orchestral conducting with Kerry Woodward, graduated 'cum laude' in 2006, was offered a Messiaen Academy scholarship and, subsequently, studied for my Master’s degree in orchestral conducting with Hans Leenders.

I specialized in conducting with Alex Schillings, Eugene Corporon, David King, Ian Porthouse, Claus Peter Flor, Georg Fritz, Sef Pijpers sr. and Jan de Haan.

Over the years, I have been very privileged to have worked with fantastic musicians such as Jörgen van Rijen, Fritz Damrow, Tjeerd Top, Jasper de Waal, Brian Bowen, Stephen Mead, Hans Nikkel, An Raskin, Tatiana Koleva, Eva van Grinsven, Eric Vloeimans, Ilja Reijngoud , Thijs van Otterloo, Natalya Kraevsky and Julian Hartman.

As a final note, just one of my thoughts... “musicians don't make stuff, they make memories, and those which tend to last for ever and continue to give us joy.