Pianist, composer and KC alum Oscar Jan Hoogland is this year’s recipient of the Willem Breuker Prize. He will receive the award during a concert evening curated by Hoogland himself on 4 November at the Bimhuis in Amsterdam. The prize consists of €15,000 and a sculpture by Wim T. Schippers. The biennial Willem Breuker Prize is awarded to musicians whose work reflects the boundary-pushing and inventive approach of Willem Breuker.
From the jury report: “For Oscar Jan Hoogland, the world is his playground. He is a pianist, but also a multi-instrumentalist. If an instrument does not yet exist, he builds it himself. He knows and values the musical tradition from which he emerged, devotes meticulous attention to it and shares it with others. That tradition encompasses everything available to him: a wide range of musical styles, approaches to playing and cultures. Whatever does not yet exist, he adds himself.”
This year marks the seventh presentation of the Willem Breuker Prize. Previous recipients include Reza Namavar (2017), Nora Mulder (2019), the duo Maarten Ornstein and Mike Fentross (2022), Diamanda La Berge Dramm (2022), and Kika Sprangers (2024). In 2024, the year marking what would have been Willem Breuker’s 80th birthday, Heleen Hulst and Gerard Bouwhuis received an additional Special Recognition Award.
About Oscar Jan Hoogland
Oscar Jan Hoogland is a pianist, composer, improviser and multi-instrumentalist, and a leading figure in the Dutch improvisation scene. Known for his adventurous approach, he draws on a wide range of musical styles, traditions and cultures, performing not only on piano but also on his customised electric clavichord and numerous other instruments. He has collaborated with musicians including Han Bennink, Ab Baars, Benjamin Herman and Mola Sylla, and is involved in ensembles and projects ranging from LOOT and EHBO to Minute Made Music. Alongside performing and composing, Hoogland is active as a curator and organiser and co-directs the improvisers’ collective DOEK. He teaches at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague, the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and the Academy of Theatre and Dance in Amsterdam.
