ABOUT | HANS

Biography

Hans de Wild is highly sought-after keyboard player, composer and producer. At the early age of 12, Hans won a competition hosted by Dutch radio station 3 FM, where he created an entire band on his keyboard.

Ever since moving to Amsterdam in 2013, he has worked with some of the best Dutch jazz players around, such as saxophonist and Edison winner Bart Wirtz, trumpeter Saskia Laroo and many others.

Hans has studied at the Prins Claus Conservatory in Groningen, the Netherlands, where he was selected for the ‘Voorziening voor Excellerende Musici’, a cultural exchange program for outstanding musicians. He went to New York to study jazz piano with David Berkman and was awarded a scholarship to study at the renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston.

In 2012, Hans won the Six String Competition, a prestigious international music event organized by Grammy Award-winning guitarist Lee Ritenour. Hans was featured on Lee’s Rhythm Sessions album (released in 2013), together with jazz icons such as Stanley Clarke, George Duke, Chick Corea and Marcus Miller. Lee also invited Hans to perform with him on a series of master classes and concerts, including a sold-out concert at the North Sea Jazz Club in Amsterdam. Hans has also performed with drummer Sonny Emory (Lee Ritenour and Earth, Wind and Fire), saxophonist Susanne Alt and many others.

WILD Organ and Drums is Hans’ newest project, prominently featuring the Hammond organ and infectious grooves. The WILD repertoire is a blend of various styles, combining funk, jazz and groove-oriented music. In 2014, the group performed at the North Sea Jazz Club in Amsterdam, International Jazzfest Rotterdam and several other Dutch festivals.