The Nieuw Amsterdams Klarinet Kwartet consists of the four versatile clarinettists Sergio, Bart, Tom and Jesse.
The four gentlemen all studied at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, and their dynamism, devotion to the entire clarinet family and perhaps most importantly their pleasure in making music together are the cornerstones of the Nieuw Amsterdams Klarinet Kwartet (NAKK for short). Over the last six years the NAKK has established itself as a favourite with audiences throughout The Netherlands.
In 2015 the NAKK was nominated for the Grachtenfestival prize and in 2017 the quartet presented their debut CD “Ode to Amsterdam” at the Royal Concertgebouw’s popular “Tracks” concert series.
2018 in turn saw the release of their second CD “New Amsterdam Stories’.
The NAKK is also active internationally and have toured in countries such as Bulgaria, Brazil, France and Portugal. Whilst in these countries they also discovered the unique musical identities of these lands, and have subsequently brought this rich diversity to their own programming. Bringing music to the masses: this is where the NAKK truly shines. Think of their surprise performance for the unsuspecting passengers of a tram in central Amsterdam, or a spontaneous traffic-jam concert for the queue of impatient drivers waiting in front of an open bridge in the middle of a highway.
The NAKK actively seeks out musical challenges and exciting collaborations. Their whimsical approach to classical music combined with their spontaneity on stage is a crowd pleaser and the audience never fails to be quickly charmed!
Jesse Faber
(bass clarinet) played the violin as a child, but thanks in no small part to the pretty, clarinet-playing girl who sat next to him in class, he promptly changed allegiances. Luckily, he quickly became quite the clarinet fanatic: he won prizes at the Princess Christina competition, and at the age of 18 was already touring California and performing in New York. A particularly noteable performance was in the Carnegie Hall with the trio of jazz pianist Jon Batiste, currently known for his work as bandleader on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Jesse participates in the ‘Mimic’ project, bringing music to surgical wards in hospitals. He also works regulary with many orchestras and ensembles including The Metropole Orchestra, Ludwig ensemble, the Nederlands Blazers Ensemble, The Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, with whom he has often toured. Jesse is a passionate promotor of the basset horn, and has created the basset horn Octet as a fitting tribute to this beautiful instrument, together with other equally passionate basset horn players.
Jesse lives in the center of Amsterdam, loves New Orleans swing music, his growling contrabass clarinet and is an incorrigible Francophile!
Sergio Hamerslag
(clarinet/Eb clarinet) first came into contact with the clarinet at age 11, and was immediately hooked. Thanks to a recruitment drive at his primary school by the local wind band, he started taking lessons with Gerrit de Weerd, and four years later found himself in the young talent class of the Conservatorium van Amsterdam under the tutelage of Herman Braune. During his studies he participated in masterclasses and workshops with artists such as Karl Leister, Richard Stolzman, Ralph Manno and Sabine Meyer. Eight years later he received his Master of Music cum laude under the guidance of Harmen de Boer.
Having built up a great deal of experience playing in various youth and professional orchestras both at home and abroad, he won the position of bass clarinettist at The Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra in 2009.
Sergio lives with his girlfriend and two cats in Hilversum. When not playing the clarinet, most of his time is devoted to renovating his house, leading his colleagues to crown him with the nickname “King of DIY”. Sergio is also a fan of running and skiing and has had a place in his heart for trains his whole life.
Tom Wolfs
(clarinet/basset horn) studied clarinet at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam with Arno Piters and Hans Colbers and received his Master degree cum laude in 2014. During this time he also pursued a study in Musicology at the Universiteit van Amsterdam, receiving his Master degree Arts and Culture (Musicology) in the same year.
Tom is a regular guest at the Nederlands Blazers Ensemble, the Gelders Orkest, the Residentie Orkest, The Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, philharmonie zuidnederland and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. in 2014, he performed Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto with the Conservatorium van Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jan Willem de Vriend. Tom has been teaching clarinet in Amsterdam and the surrounding areas since 2008.
A true bon vivant, Tom immensely enjoys fine home cooking and a good glass of wine. A more thorough investigation of this topic was therefore pretty much unavoidable, and in 2017 a celebratory glass was raised to mark the culmination of his professional Sommelier training.
Bart de Kater
(clarinet/basset horn) received both Bachelor and Master degrees cum laude from Conservatorium van Amsterdam, where he studied with Herman Braune, Harmen de Boer and Arno Piters.
As a musician he strives to build bridges with music theater, and as such has worked with theater companies including Speeltheater Holland, de Toneelmakerij and Oorkaan. Besides classical music, Bart happily explores the world of folklore music, playing the kaval (a traditional Bulagarian shepherd’s flute). Bart frequently joins the Nederlands Blazers Ensemble (Dutch Wind Ensemble) for performances including the New Year’s concert in the Royal Concertgebouw, and on tours to Jordan, Israël, Turkey and Poland. He also plays regularly at The Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, the Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and he collaborated on the Calefax reed quintet’s jubilee CD “CalefaXL”. Bart is also a member of the recent musical initiative “Splendor Amsterdam”.
Bart plays on a Schwenk und Seggelke clarinet and basset horn that he purchased with help from the following funds: Nationaal Muziekinstrumenten Fonds, Stichting Eigen Muziekinstrument and Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds. With fine weather and a fair wind, Bart can be found scudding over the waters of Holland’s lakes in his sailing boat!
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