“...his playing is technically fluid, musical inventive and he shows a deep musical awareness and flexibility ‘in the moment’.
...with an extremely strong compositional style that showed breadth and diversity in his reference points...”
- Professor Nick Smart, Head of Jazz
Programmes Royal Academy of Music London
​
“Van der Made is een echte verteller op de tenorsax, ...”
- Brabants Dagblad
Groups
-
Rik van der Made London Band
-
Rik van der Made Group
-
Rik van der Made Trio
-
Edouard Monnier Group
-
SBR Horns
-
Sultans of Swing
-
Dukes of Jazz
orchestra experience
BIO
Born in the Netherlands, now living in London, Rik van der Made (23) is a young, driven tenor saxophonist and composer, writing music for his new acoustic quintet. His sound can be described as melodic, Northern European improvised music. With beautiful lyrical improvisation inspired by different folk traditions, jazz, classical music and modern piano trio’s.
Rik has been nominated in 2021 and was a finalist of the “Conservatorium Talent Award” where one of his compositions were arranged for - and accompanied by the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw. In 2022 he was also a finalist and a prize winner of the “Grachtenfestival Jazz Competition” and was nominated for the Jaques de Leeuw Prize.
In addition to his own project, he has also performed in the Jong Metropole (2021), National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NJJO 2019/2020) conducted by Ruben Hein, the horn section SBR Horns, the swing band Dukes of Jazz, the quintet of the French trumpet player Edouard Monnier, his trio line- up and other projects. With these different formations he has played on various stages and festivals throughout the country, such as North Sea Jazz, Pizza Express Live London, Spice of Live London, Concert at Sea, Jazz in Duketown, Bimhuis, LantarenVenster, Tivoli Vredenburg, Amersfoort Jazz, PaRaDoX, Grachten Festival Amsterdam, Make It Jazz Festival, BoZ Jazz and so on.
As a multi-reed, Rik has also participated in various professional orchestras such as the Medialane theater orchestra, and different Dutch military orchestras.
Currently he is studying at the post-graduate course of the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he is taught by Julian Siegel, Iain Bellamy, Jasper Høiby, Orlando Le Flemming, Will Vinson, Pete Churchill, Nick Smart etc.
He completed his bachelor's degree in Tilburg in 2021 at the age of 21, where he took lessons from Paul Weiling, Yuri Honing, Guido Nijs, Toon de Gouw, etc.
He has played with Scott Hamilton, Jack van Pol, Heijn van de Geijn, John Engels, Rob van Bavel, Hans van Oosterhout, Ruben Heijn, Jan van Duikeren, Bert Boeren, Teus Nobel, Guido Nijs, Benjamin Herman, Paul van Kemenade and many others
-
Royal Academy of Music Jazz Orchestra
-
National Youth Jazz Orchestra (dutch) led by Ruben Hein (2019-2021)
-
Young Metropole led by Jochen Neuffer (2021)
-
Medialane musical orchestra (2020, 2022)
-
Orchestra of the Royal Netherlands Air Force
-
(substitute)
-
Marine Band of the Royal Netherlands Navy (substitute)
-
ZNWO led by Paul van Kemenade
Education
2022-now Master of Arts (jazz), Royal Academy of Music, London
2017-2022
Academy of Music and Performing Arts Jazz, Fontys Tilburg
​
2015-2017
HAVO, Gertrudis College Roosendaal
​
2012-2015
VWO, Gertrudis College Roosendaal