ABOUT DION

 

Photo: Allard Willems

Dion Nijland (1970) has been playing double bass since he turned 17. At this moment he is a member of several groups that operate in the field of jazz, improvised and contemporary music such as DEONHOT (Het Orgel Trio), City Maps (led by Steven Kamperman), Frans Vermeerssen Trio, NUTS (Monique de Adelhart Toorop), Utrecht Jazz Archipel. Besides these groups Dion has his solo-project I Play Me.

For more then 10 years Dion was part of Vanbinsbergen Playstation, Dimami (together with Miguel Boelens on alto saxophone and Makki van Engelen on drums), Talking Cows and De Bende van Drie. Till recently he was a member of MOA (by Koen Boeijinga), Colen (led by Ad Colen) and Buisonic (led by Joost Buis). In 2006 Dimami took part in ‘The Young VIPs Tour’ with, among others, Anton Goudsmit on guitar. A highly acclaimed cd was released, containing Dion’s compositions. He has played with a wide variety of groups in France, Germany, Chile, Bolivia, Iraq, Turkey, India, Portugal and the USA.

In 2006 he took part in the Oostpool Theatre Group production Brel, featuring Jeroen Willems in the title role. In 2009 he joined The RO Theater group in the theater play Woyzeck and shortly after did a large tour with the dance company Station Zuid in a piece called Ghost Note: a danced tribute to jazz.

As a double bass playing improviser he was Musician in Residence in his hometown Utrecht in 2009, as well as in Nijmegen in 2011. Dion studied double bass at ArtEZ Conservatory Arnhem and the Sweelinck Conservatory Amsterdam. 

He himself now teaches double bass at ArtEZ conservatory in Arnhem since 2014. For more then 20 years Dion has been coaching and conducting jazz groups and giving workshops in several cities in The Netherlands.

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