Koos Wiltenburg

Koos Wiltenburg (1954) started playing bass guitar at the age of 17 in a blues and rock band in Rotterdam. When he was 21, he began his classical study on double bass and 3 years later his jazz study at the Conservatory of Rotterdam.
In both studies, he graduated in December 1983.

During his studies, he was also active as a professional bass player (both in double bass and bass guitar) and won the Laren Jazz Festival, a.o. Arno van Nieuwenhuize, at age 21. As a freelancer, he played in numerous groups, theatre productions, and radio/television programs.

For years, he was part of The Group of Rob van der Linden including, Henk Sprenger and Fred Krens. In addition, he was the bass player for Maaike Nicola with whom he recorded two albums (with Cees Slinger and John Engels).

With the trio “Intrioduction” and the ” Johan Clement trio” he played all over Europe and at all the major jazz festivals in Europe amongst others. Some of which were the North Sea Jazz Festival, Antibes, Cannes, and Brussels.

Besides that, he accompanied countless musicians a.o. Lee Konitz, Slide Hampton, Urbie Green, Dee Daniels, Charles McPherson, Toots Thielemans, Georgie Fame, Hal Singer, Benny Bailey, Tom Kirkpatrick, Dave Pike, Marjorie Barnes and many others.

Koos recorded and produced over 25 recordings for Dee Daniels, Louis de Vries, all the Johan Clement trio recordings he was involved with, Eddy Doorenbos, the Hague Jazz Quartet, and for the classical cello player Arturo Muruzabal.

From 1987 until his retirement in 2020, Koos taught double bass, bass guitar, and ensembles at the Prins Claus Conservatory in Groningen. From 1994-2000, Koos was the head of internationalization, masterclasses, and international cooperation of the Jazz department. He partnered with other conservatories like the Manhattan School of Music, Bass and Drum Collective New York, MIT Los Angeles, Berklee Boston, Conservatory of Leeds, and Conservatory of Parma. He frequently traveled to the United States and withing Europe to maintain these partnerships.

As a bandleader, composer, arranger, producer :

2006 cd “WORTH A JOURNEY”, i.a. Floor van Zutphen, Thomas Zoetelief, Don Braden, Miguel Martinez. Alaor Soares, Jan Ype Nota.

2008 cd “WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY FOR THE BLUES” with Eef Albers, Leo Janssen, Arno van Nieuwenhuize

2010 cd KOOS WILTENBURG GROUP – “HANDS ON”  with Eef Albers, Leo janssen, Thomas Zoetelief, Arno van Nieuwenhuize, and Mamour Seck.

2018: LP/CD RUE DE LA GARE with Denise Jannah, Marjorie Barnes, Deborah Carter, Ben van den Dungen, Leo Janssen, Barend Petersen, Wouter Kiers, Eef Albers, Peter Tiehuis, Rudy de Queljoe, Bas van Lier, Ronald Snijders,Thomas Zoetelief, Arno van Nieuwenhuize

As arranger, producer:  

2021: LP/CD GOSIA JULIA MAJ – “BY YOUR SIDE” with Gosia Julia Maj, Thomas Zoetelief, Arno van Nieuwenhuize, Jasper Soffers, Martin Gort, Wycliffe Gordon, Alex Sipiagin, Don Braden, Eddie Conard, Deborah Carter, Izaline Calister, Antoine Drie, Nanko Meiborg.

 As co-arranger, producer:

2023: CD THOMAS ZOETELIEF QUARTER – “SHE KNOWS” with Thomas Zoetelief, Arno van Nieuwenhuize en Martin Gort.