Benjamin Herman
The Netherlands
Benjamin Herman was twelve when he started playing saxophone and was already performing professionally at the age of thirteen. He has toured with large and small combos in the United States, Japan, Czech Republic, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, South Africa and Russia, as well as appearing frequently at North Sea Jazz Festival. At 21 he received the Wessel Ilcken prize for best young jazz musician of the year. After which he was invited to take part in the 1991 Thelonious Monk Competition, along with Joshua Redman, Chris Potter and Eric Alexander.
After graduating with honours at Hilversum Conservatory he studied with Dick Oatts at Manhattan School of Music in New York. By 25 Benjamin had worked with almost every respected group and musician in the Netherlands, and had started initiating his own projects.
