Biography (EN and JP)

Dutch pianist, improviser, music theorist and educator Karst de Jong (1961) studied Classical Piano with Geoffrey Douglas Madge and Music Theory with Ineke Kien at the Royal Conservatoire of Den Haag, taking secondary subjects of jazz piano and arranging with Frans Elsen and Rob van Kreeveld. He is internationally recognized in the field of classical improvisation, having transformed his artistic practice from performing classical pieces to bringing improvisation to the stage. He published research on music theory, improvisation and collaborative music creation. With 34 years of teaching experience in Higher Music Education, he is holding positions at renowned institutions in the Netherlands and Spain. Since 2019 he is visiting professor at the NUS YST Conservatory in Singapore. Karst de Jong currently shares his residency between Barcelona and Singapore.

With his focus on promoting the integration of improvisation in the practice and education of classical musicians, he was closely involved in realizing substantial changes in the music theory curriculum of the Royal Conservatoire of Den Haag over the past 10 years. This process is strongly linked to his initiating role in two major European strategic partnerships of the Erasmus+ program: The European Improvisation Intensive (2012-2014) and the METRIC project (2016-2018), both focusing on promoting the integration of improvisation in the curricula of Institutes of Higher Music Education in Europe. He was also actively involved in the NAIP program, the European Master of New Audiences and Innovative Practices. He developed many new ways of guiding classical musicians in the process of creating new music together, both in the orientation phase of their study as well as in orchestral projects and improvisation events.

As a pianist and performing improviser, he gave concerts, masterclasses and workshops of improvisation for all combinations of instruments at internationally renowned festivals and institutions. Karst de Jong was co-founder and general director of the Vila-seca Music Festival (Tarragona, Spain) from 2011-2018. Many pianists made their appearances in this festival, among them Paul Badura Skoda, Edith Fischer, Cyprien Katsaris, Boris Berman, Peter Frankl, Luiz de Moura Castro, Mikhail Petukhov, Jean-Marc Luisada, Gülsin Onay, Josep Colom and Pierre Réach. He released two CDs with piano solo improvisations, "Improdisiac I & II".

As a researcher, he published various articles on improvisation, collaborative music creation and music theory, and appeared at numerous national and international conferences. He was a co-founder and board member of the Dutch Belgian society of Music Theory, as well as an editor for the Dutch Journal of Music Theory. Since 2012 he has been supervising artistic research projects in the Masters studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Den Haag, and has also been actively involved in the development of the Research Catalogue, an online publishing platform for artistic research.


カルスト デ ヨング (1961年生まれ)

オランダ・ハーグ王立音楽院にてクラシックピアノと音楽理論を学び、その後ピアニスト、作曲家、プロデューサー、インプロバイザーとして活動中。1991年からアムステルダム音楽院、ハーグ王立音楽院にて教鞭をとり、2003年から、スペイン・カタルーニャ高等音楽大学 (在バルセロナ) においても様式分析、アンサンブル及び作曲における即興の技術をクラシック、ジャズを学ぶソリストの生徒たちそして、ピアノに限らずあらゆる楽器を専攻する生徒達に教えている。日本、ヨーロッパで幅広く演奏活動を繰り広げる一方、音楽理論と即興演奏に関する様々な学会に出席し論文を執筆。 また、Young Pianist Foundation summer course (オランダ)、International Chamber Music Festival Schiermonnikoog (オランダ)、Festival Piano Pic Académie internationale Gyorgy Sebök Orchestre des Pyrénées (フランス)など数々の音楽祭にてマスタークラスを開催。Dutch Belgian society of Music Theoryの創設者の一人でもあり、Dutch Journal of Music Theoryの編集者としても活躍中。スペイン、バルセロナ在住。 ソロCD「IMPRODISIAC 」をリリース。