Ernst Reijseger
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| Name | Ernst Reijseger |
| Birth date | 1954 |
| Birth place | Voorburg, Netherlands |
| Instrument | Cello |
| Genre | Jazz, contemporary classical, world music, improvisation |
| Occupation | Cellist, composer |
| Years active | 1970s–present |
| Associated acts | Gidon Kremer, Goran Bregović, Marius de Vries |
Ernst Reijseger is a Dutch cellist and composer known for his adventurous improvisations, cross-cultural collaborations, and film scoring. He has worked across genres including jazz, contemporary classical music, and world music, performing with ensembles and soloists from Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Reijseger's oeuvre spans concert works, studio albums, and acclaimed film soundtracks, situating him within networks that include performers, ensembles, and directors across the global arts scene.
Early life and education
Born in Voorburg in the Netherlands, Reijseger studied cello in a path intersecting with institutions and teachers influential in European classical music life. He received formative training connected to conservatories and music academies that have educated figures such as Yo-Yo Ma, Mstislav Rostropovich, Pablo Casals, and Jacqueline du Pré. During his education he encountered repertory associated with composers like Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, György Ligeti, and Arnold Schoenberg, while absorbing influences from performers linked to orchestras such as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, and the London Symphony Orchestra.
Musical career
Reijseger's musical career developed through chamber music, solo recitals, and improvisatory projects connecting him to stages and festivals associated with artists such as Keith Jarrett, Charlie Haden, Pat Metheny, Jan Garbarek, and Anouar Brahem. He has led ensembles engaging repertoire that overlaps with works by Igor Stravinsky, Dmitri Shostakovich, and Bela Bartok, and has been invited to perform at venues and series linked to institutions including the Royal Albert Hall, the Carnegie Hall, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, and the Marlboro Music Festival. His discography includes recordings produced with labels that have released albums by ECM Records, Blue Note Records, Nonesuch Records, and Deutsche Grammophon artists.
Collaborations and notable projects
Reijseger's collaborations span a wide array of artists and ensembles, forming intersections with figures from European classical, Balkan folk, African traditional, and contemporary improvisation scenes. He has worked with violinists such as Gidon Kremer and Roby Lakatos, composers like Heiner Goebbels and Louis Andriessen, and bandleaders such as Goran Bregović and Fela Kuti–adjacent projects. Projects include joint performances with pianists and arrangers connected to Brad Mehldau, Tigran Hamasyan, and Chick Corea, partnerships with ethnomusicologists and ensembles associated with Toumani Diabaté, Ali Farka Touré, and Huun-Huur-Tu, and recorded collaborations involving producers tied to Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, and Rick Rubin.
Film scores and multimedia work
Reijseger has composed scores for directors and film projects that have circulated through festivals and institutions connected to Cannes Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, and cinematographers linked to auteurs such as Werner Herzog, Jim Jarmusch, and Abderrahmane Sissako. His soundtrack work aligns him with filmmakers and producers including Mira Nair, Sergei Eisenstein–in historical reference, Theo Angelopoulos, and contemporary collaborators from European arthouse cinema. Reijseger's music for film and multimedia projects has been featured alongside visual artists and choreographers associated with venues like the Tate Modern, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Théâtre de la Ville.
Style and technique
Reijseger's style merges extended cello techniques, improvisatory language, and idioms drawn from Balkan, African, and Latin traditions, resonating with techniques used by cellists and improvisers such as Erling BlØndal Bengtsson, Anssi Karttunen, and Fred Sherry. His technique includes non-traditional bowing, pizzicato approaches comparable to those explored by Miroslav Vitouš and Dave Holland in ensemble contexts, and use of prepared-cello effects analogous to experiments by John Cage and Luciano Berio. He frequently adapts repertory and modes associated with Ottoman makam, Klezmer, and Modal jazz, situating his playing within cross-genre dialogues that also reference composers like Arvo Pärt and Philip Glass.
Awards and recognition
Reijseger's work has earned recognition from film and music institutions, festivals, and critics who have also honored artists such as Paolo Sorrentino, Dario Argento, Ennio Morricone, Nino Rota, and Quincy Jones. His soundtracks and recordings have been nominated for and received awards associated with entities like the European Film Awards, national film academies across Europe, and music prize organizations aligned with festivals such as Rotterdam International Film Festival and SXSW. He has been the subject of features in publications connected to critics who write for outlets tied to The New York Times, The Guardian, Le Monde, and Der Spiegel.
Category:Dutch cellists Category:Living people Category:1954 births