Henk van Twillert and Vento do Norte on USA Tour

From March 7 until March 16, Dutch saxophonist Henk van Twillert and his ensemble “Vento do Norte” will tour the United States.

Vento do Norte is a unique group of van Twillert’s saxophonists students at the School of Music, Arts and Entertainment in Porto, Portugal (ESMAE), formed in 2005. When the students graduate, they give their place to younger students to maintain the youthfulness and energy of the group. From Chicago to New York, van Twillert and his students will perform their own interpretations and renditions on saxophones of the classical repertoire of Bach, Mendelssohn, Schubert, all the way up to contemporary composers and popular folk songs.

Van Twillert has shared the stage with Vento do Norte since 2005, playing in various venues and festivals of Portugal notably in Porto, Palmela, Aveiro, Almada and Guimarães. However, they also played at the “Grachten Festival,” which is the biggest classical music festival from The Netherlands, and many other venues and festivals all over the world. Their first CD “Adagio for Saxophones” was recorded in 2009, and defined as ‘versatile, passionate and sincere.’

Henk van Twillert & Vento do Norte form a group of passionate and talented musicians who combine a modern vision on chamber music with unique interpretations. On stage they aim to be a “breathtaking but fun experience,” where in a moment all are united by music, raised to euphoria and movement.

About Henk van Twillert

Henk van Twillert is an internationally renowned saxophonist with an inexhaustible passion for music. For the past 25 years, he has closely collaborated with pianist and composer Tjako van Schie. In addition to being his regular accompanist, Van Schie has coached Van Twillert’s students in the Netherlands and Portugal. Van Twillert’s unparalleled virtuosity is not only a joy to the ear, it has inspired other musicians, including Chiel Meijering and Carlos Marques, to compose works specifically for the baritone sax. 

Tour Dates

• March 7:  Northwestern University. Chicago, IL – with Taimur Sullivan.
• March 9: New York University. New York, NY – with Esther Lamneck.
• March 10: Juilliard School of Music. New York, NY – with Ron Blake.
• March 11: Upbeat New York. New York, NY – with Lisa Austria and Laurinda van Twillert.
• March 14: Eastman School of Music. Rochester, NY – with Chien-Kwan Lin.
• March 15: Mansfield Unversity. Mansfield, PE – with Joe Murphy.
• March 16: Netherlands Club. New York, NY – with Addy Onstwedder.