Ilse Huizinga

Leading newspapers in the Netherlands describe Ilse Huizinga as one of the most distinguished of the new generation of Dutch jazz singers. From the very beginning of her career with the release of her first album Out Of A Dream (1997) to her most recent Easy To Idolize (2003), media and audiences have spoken highly of her.

Numerous articles, interviews and appearances on radio and television followed and connected her to a diverse and broad audience. She performed in Spain, Turkey, Switzerland, France and England.

An old piano drew Ilse to music and at the tender age of six she received her first piano lessons. She took up singing lessons as a teenager and discovered the music and albums of Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday and Abbey Lincoln.

Although her passion was aroused she decided against a career in music and enrollend in the University of Amsterdam to graduate in Public Administration. As a student however, she regularly took part in open mike nights at the famous jazz club Casablanca, in the heart of the Amsterdam Red Light District. Then and there she decided to follow her heart and become a professional jazz singer.

Ilse went on to study at the Amsterdam Music Conservatory and performed in many venues in the Netherlands. On stage she met pianist/composer Erik van der Luijt, whom she married in 1998. Together they produce Ilse's four albums to date. Ilse and Erik have a daughter, Ellen, born in 2000.

What others say: “A voice of which other singers only dream: full, clear and sensitive...” Nouveau “One of the most distinguished of the new generation of Dutch jazz singers. In the titlesong we get genuine coloratura, in This Can't Be Love she manages to fit entire octaves in a single syllable - great that the poignang lyrics meanwhile never suffer...” De Volkskrant “La Huizinga exhibits the hallmarks of a diva in the making. We are getting to know her better and better as one of the leading Dutch jazz singers...” Trouw Show less