The Rolo's

The Dutch Violin Building School in Makkum has existed for 20 years. There will be a series of festive activities throughout the week, of which The Rolo’s concert was one of them. The concert location was a beautiful church at Bleekstraat 11. First Annemijn and Floris played a number of pieces as a duo and Floris also played the beautiful composition by Mike Boddé, De Florisrol. Annemijn played the entire concert on a violin made by Ger Sperling. The violin was only just finished and still needs to be varnished. The violin already sounded great! The last part of the concert was another first. Ruud Ouwehand played three more pieces with his selfmade double bass. This instrument was also not yet lacquered. The bass had a great sound! Congratulations Ger and Ruud with your beautiful instruments!

This is a short compilation of two beautiful compositions. Today Floris Rol (10) had a special morning. He was invited by Nata Tsvereli to play in the weekly piano class of the classical department. This year Floris won the Music Prize of the Princess Christina Competition. With this prize Floris had guest lessons from the classical piano virtuoso and conservatory teacher Nata Tsvereli. De last months he worked on the first part of a beautiful Suite by Claude Debussy. Children’s Corner is the name of the suite in 6 parts. Floris is studying the first part called, Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum. Today in front of all the students Floris could show how far he is with this composition and get some good and very positive feedback from the students. Nata asked Floris if he would play a second composition. Floris chose to play a Korean children’s song called Bandal. Floris has learned to play this composition by Rob van Bavel who is also responsible for this beautiful arrangement.

Last Sunday, August 18, Annemijn and Floris performed with their great musical friend, Mike Boddé. In the Aegtenkapel in Amersfoort, a truly magnificent location with a beautiful grand piano, the trio played the stars from the sky. This concert was part of the Amersfoort World Jazz Festival. An incredible honor and challenge for The Rolo’s to be programmed at this renowned festival together with Mike Boddé.

From 7 to 11 July, The Rolo’s participated as a duo in an international competition, Ibla Grand Prize 2024 in Sicily. In five days they gave 11 concerts at beautiful locations in Ibla. The young talents Annemijn and Floris have gained another great experience. They played a mix of jazz, latin and classical music, almost all of it their own arrangements. There is room for improvisation in almost every arrangement. This compilation contains short pieces of four compositions: Every Age I Have Been Grateful by Martin Fondse and Margriet Sjoerdsma, You Taught My Heart To Sing by McCoy Tyner, Pepper by Annemijn Rol, Meditation by Jules Massenet

On July 6th, Annemijn and Floris take the plane to Sicily (Italy). There they will participate in an international contest: Ragusa/Ibla Grand Prize. Besides the fact that it is special that brother (10) and sister (13) form a duo together, the repertoire they have prepared is also very special. They play a mix of jazz, latin and classical music and they have arranged almost all the compositions themselves. The composition of Annemijn, Pepper, will also be performed outside the Netherlands for the first time. Over the past month they have both focused entirely on playing together as a duo. In order to be well attuned to each other, they gave three try-out concerts prior to their contest tour, two of the try-out concerts are already completed. Above you can listen to a short impression of Jules Massenet’s great composition, Meditation. Buon Ascolto! (Happy listening!)

Sunday the 9^th of june was a nice musical day. The Rolo’s and Friends were allowed to close the Waddensea Jazz. This time the ‘friends’ were the great musicians Tobias Nijboer on double bass and Durk Hijma on guitar. It was the first time that Annemijn and Floris played together with Tobias and Durk in this quartet formation. A few hours before the concert they played through the set and make some arrangements and then off to Harlingen for a wonderful experience at a very beautiful location, the Entrepotgebouw. The Rolos can look back on a number of wonderful concerts they gave this year. For now, this concert was the last before the summer holidays in the Netherlands. Yes indeed, you read that right, in the Netherlands. Because on the 6^th of July, The Rolos will travel to Sicily to give concerts as a duo from July 7 to July 11 as part of a major international contest in Ragusa/Ibla. During this period hey will give one or more concerts every day.

Probably the youngest and first (and nicest, now you know who wrote this!) violinist to be admitted to the JJC of the CvA. Annemijn is very excited to get started. The course at the JJC starts in September. Than she goes every Saturday to Amsterdam to play for a whole day with other young talents and to receive great lessons from super musicians such as Jeffrey Bruinsma and Simon Rigter.

After a wonderful concert by The Rolo’s and Friends at the beautiful Jazzy Huiskamers festival in Den Bosch, the next one is already on the program. In Den Bosch, The Rolo’s played with Frans van Geest and Vincent Koning in a challenging quartet formation. On May 24, Annemijn and Floris will play at the charming festival “Tunes and Tapas” on the Jacobusplein in Enschede. This time in quintet form with Ruud Ouwehand, Maarten van der Grinten and Sebastian Netta. The festival is a collaboration between the legendary Jazz Club, De Tor and the local catering industry.