Ben van Gelder Quintet

The Whole Wide World Is Round Tour

Alto saxophonist and composer Ben van Gelder is regarded both nationally and internationally as a defining voice on his instrument. Even as a teenager, he won prestigious awards, including the Princess Christina Competition, the Stan Getz/Clifford Brown Fellowship, and the Deloitte Jazz Award.

At the age of seventeen, he moved to New York, where he lived for nearly ten years and collaborated with musicians such as Mark Turner, Joe Sanders, and Ambrose Akinmusire. There, he developed his distinctive style as a soloist and composer. This style was also shaped by his studies in art history: visual art, stories, and objects often serve as the starting point for his compositions.

With his quintet, van Gelder has released three highly acclaimed albums. His 2023 octet album Manifold, which explores the sonic possibilities of the church organ, was hailed by The New York Times as an extraordinary release.

The Whole Wide World Is Round is a musical tribute to the 50th anniversary of the North Sea Jazz Festival and to the people who have shaped jazz. The central theme is memory.

Van Gelder has a personal connection to the festival: His father ran a booth there for many years with his record store, Swingmaster. In 1981, his mother was so moved by a concert by singer Abbey Lincoln that she asked to take a photo with her—and met Ben van Gelder’s father. Thus, Abbey Lincoln became the heart of this project.

Her poetic texts on origin, time, and identity inspired van Gelder’s compositions. The work is visually complemented by pieces by Tony Roe and Várvara Tazelaar, as well as archival photographs from his father’s collection.