Artist description Roland Stolk is an allround professional musician, arranger, composer and producer from the Netherlands.

Music Style diverse

Musical Influences everything

Artist History Roland Stolk was born in Schiedam in The Netherlands, on February 24th, 1965. At the age of eight, he began playing the piano, and at ten, the drums.Education & Experience Ever since he was twelve, Roland studied drumming at the elementary school for ballet and music in Rotterdam. It was during this education that he discovered the vibraphone. At sixteen, Roland began his study of the vibraphone as well as drums at the Conservatory in Rotterdam, Holland. He then became very enthusiastic about the melodic aspects of percussion and decided to concentrate more on vibraphone and piano. It was during this period that he followed workshops by the likes of Milt Jackson and Dave Samuels. During his study, Roland played in various jazz, Latin and fusion formations, for example the Trio Pim Jacobs and Line Out, a fusion group that Roland founded and lead, and wrote most of the compositions for. With this group, he played at various festivals in Holland and on various radio programmes. In addition to this, Roland wa s co-founder and main composer of the "hardbop" formation Vibes Unit. This formation won the 1987 Meervaart Jazz Competition and played at various festivals including the 1989 North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague, Holland.Roland graduated with distincti o n from the Conservatory in Rotterdam, Holland, in 1987. In 1989, he decided to pursue his study at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, where he received lessons from Ed Saindon and Gary Burton." I consider him a very talented vibist whi ch is sure to make a mark in the music field." - Ed Saindon "He is an excellent musician and I have enjoyed hearing his music."- Gary Burton. Upon his return to Holland in 1990, Roland was nominated for the Pall Mall Swing Award and the Wessel Ilcken pri ze. As accompanist/soloist, Roland played with various formations including Global Village, the American jazz accordeonist Art van Damme and pianist Tonu Naissoo at the 1994 Jazzkaar Festival in Tallin in Estland. During this time, Roland played on v a riou s CD productions, including "Tien" by Flairck, and, in 1996, the first CD of the theatre group Zenga, (Roland was also a member of this group). This CD also includes some of Roland's own compositions. Together with Leon de Laat, Roland co-founded M al let Unit, a duo specialising in melodic percussion (predominantly with vibraphone and marimba), that has been performing since 1990. The most compositions for this duo were written by Roland. Mallet Unit made its start at the 1990 International Percu ss ion Day in the Paradiso theatre in Amsterdam. Subsequently, the duo played several concerts in and out of Holland as well as on various radio broadcasts. Their international debuts took place in the "Muzik Messe Frankfurt" theatre in Germany, and at t h e 1 993 percussion festival in Poland. Since 1994, Mallet Unit gives annual concerts at various elementary schools in South-Holland. The duo also performs in Dutch theatres with the programmes "Mallet Spektakel" ("Mallet Spectacle") and the family perf or manc e "Waar Slaat Dat Nou Op?" ("What is that all about?") with singer Eva Zeijlstra.Critics had this to say about the performance: "Mallet Unit played the concert with virtuosity."Theatre Experience" Roland Stolk has been active for years as vibist, k eyboa rd-playe r and percussionist in the Dutch theatre circuit. His experience includes working with:Since 1990 Mallet Unit, with the programmes "Mallet Spektakel" and "Waar Slaat Dat Nou Op?"Season '90-'92: Visser & Friends, wherefore Roland wrote a number of co mposit ions. Season '92-'94: the pianist Laurens van Rooyen Season '95-'97: the "new" theatre group Zenga, with the programme "Musica Animalis", wherefore Roland also composed and arranged various pieces. Season '97-'98: singer Mathilde Sant ing in th e pr ogramme "Grip". During this period, Roland also played on her most recent CD "To Others To One" (This CD became Platinum in Holland). Season '98: pianist Cor Bakker and Mathilde Santing Season '99 - '00: singer Julia Loko in the programme "Heartland" and "Chris tmas songs of love and joy". Music under Commission / Studio: Work Since'93, Roland has worked from his own music studio.1993 - '95: composed music for a number of business films, for example A.N.W.B and AT&T.1998: arranged the piece "De Voetbalma tch" ("T he Football Match")for Dutch cabaret artist Herman van Veen, for the CD "Nu en Dan" ("Now and Then"). He also arranged and produced the childrens' CD Jojo, also for Herman van Veen .1999 - '00: edited and mastered the two CDs De Sfin x and Atlant is for th e theatre group Zenga. April 2000: arranged the second CD by the Greek duo "Perix".May 2000: composed and produced music for the opening of one of DSM's electricity-plants commissioned by Planet Events. June 2000: composed and arra nged mu sic for the openi ng of the "ICT Youth Day" in the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht. July 2000: arranged and mixed the studio demo for blues singer/guitarist "Magic Frankie". Aug. 2000: composed and arranged music for a theatrical openings-act voor the super market c hain Al bert Hein c ommissioned by Wenting Events. Sept. 2000: mixed, edited and masterd the CD by the Indonesian gospel group 'Talita Kumi'.Miscellaneous: Next to having been a private tutor, Roland Stolk has also worked as a teacher of the vib raphone a t divers conservator ies. From 1990 - 1992, he taught at the conservatory in Rotterdam, Holland, and from 1993 - 1995 at the Leuven's conservatory in Belgium.Roland plays in various orchestras on a freelance basis, for example the Metrop ole Orke st ; he al so plays in several g roups for various businesses and organisations. During the 1999 Holland Festival, Roland played vibraphone in the programme "Epitaph" by Charles Mingus with the "The Transantlantic Jazz Orchestra" in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. W ith his composition "L ight As a Feather", Roland won first prize in the Percussive Arts Society's " '99 Composition Contest" in 1999. Together with L. Hennessey, he has created a live openings-act (with music, singing and dance) for business parties. Since the beginning of this year, the company "All Music Publishing" (www.allmusic.nl) has accommodated Roland's music.

Group Members Roland Stolk

Instruments piano, keyboards, vibraphone, percussion, sampling, programming.

Additional Info Recorded and composed for several other artists.

Location Vlaardingen, zuid holland - Netherlands

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