Bert Cools winner Erasmus Jazz Prize

On Sunday March 21 Belgian guitarist Bert Cools was named winner of the Erasmus Jazz Prize 2010. Bert Cools, a promising master student of the Rotterdam Jazz Academy of the Rotterdam Conservatoire, excelled by his open style of play.

Bert Cools surprised jury and audience with an unparalleled good show. 'Bert approaches music as art,' said the jury that agreed unanimously and chose - for the second consecutive year, after drummer Tuur Moens - a Belgian musician as winner.

The level of the finalists was very high again. All finalists performed with an own band. Singer Myriam Gaasbeek and bassist Boris Oud were honorable competitors and won the second and the third prize.

The jury consisted of Jan Laurens Hartong (pianist / Nueva Manteca), Hugo Dirkson (Dizzy Jazzcafé) and Hans de Lange (de Doelen).

The Erasmus Jazz Prize (EJP) celebrated an anniversary this year: it was the fifteenth edition. This prize, which has grown to be prestigious, has turned out to be a wonderful step up for a number of successful young jazz musicians. For instance, people such as Jan van Duikeren, Xandra Verkroost, Nico Scheepers, Bart Wirtz, Ruben van Rompaey, Louk Boudesteijn, Dimitar Bodurov, Jasper van Hulten, Eelco van de Meeberg and Jasper van Damme. All of them are now established names in the Dutch jazz landscape.

Students of Rotterdam Jazz Academy competed for the prize, the honour, and for the possibilities opened up by winning the prize. Over the past years the EJP has constantly been supported by donations from the Friends of Rottterdam Conservatoire Foundation. Moreover, this year the Friends have found an enthusiastic sponsor, Univé insurance.  Through this collaboration, the EJP was raised to a higher plane. The winner took home a sum of money amounting to € 2,000. Myriam Gaasbeek and Boris Oud each won € 500.