Driven by shared enthusiasm and a sense of adventure, the musicians who make up the Nederlands Blazers Ensemble (NBE) pursue their own brand of musical theatre, which resists easy pigeonholing. NBE plays music of all times, genres and cultural backgrounds, as long as it stimulates the senses and stirs up the imagination.

On stage, the ensemble is known for its tireless energy and mischievous sense of fun. And through the years, countless musicians, composers, poets, writers, actors, dancers, directors, designers and artists from all corners of the globe have found each other through the NBE’s pioneering, pan-cultural productions.

There is a natural connection between the NBE and youth, students, amateurs and young composers. Their educational programme reaches from introducing children to music and collaborations with local amateur music societies to coaching promising young talent at the highest level.

Brandt Attema (Blessum, 1978) is the new artistic director of the Nederlands Blazers Ensemble (NBE) starting from the 2024/2025 season. He succeeds oboist Bart Schneemann, who has shaped the ensemble’s artistic direction and given it its unique signature since 1988.

Brandt is no stranger to the NBE; he has been a core member of the ensemble as a bass trombonist since 2000. This long-standing involvement has profoundly influenced his musical development. In collaboration with composers and arrangers, he has developed unique roles for the (bass) trombone within the NBE, which has deepened his love for musical diversity. This has inspired him to explore new and innovative repertoire for the bass trombone outside of the NBE as well.

As a soloist and ensemble member, Brandt performs worldwide in chamber music ensembles and orchestras. In addition to his work with the NBE, he is part of the international quartet Slide Monsters and the Nieuw Trombone Collectief. Together with harpist Astrid Haring, he forms the duo Attema Haring, the world’s first duo in the unique combination of harp and bass trombone.

From 1999 to 2019, Brandt was the bass trombonist with the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and has also been a guest with renowned orchestras throughout Europe. For over ten years, he was a professor at Codarts Conservatory Rotterdam and the Royal Conservatory The Hague. Since 2019, he has been a professor of trombone at the Hochschule für Musik in Karlsruhe, Germany. He gives masterclasses worldwide and enjoys working with young people from different cultures, sharing his passion for music and the trombone with them.

Since its inception, Brandt has been actively involved with Splendor Amsterdam, a cultural space where artists and audiences meet and inspire each other. Here, he experiments with unique ensembles, such as the Bassic Quartet with tuba, bass clarinet, and baritone saxophone, or a duo with cimbalom player Vasile Nedea. With the Nieuw Trombone Collectief, he plays a leading role in creating new repertoire, and with the Jong Trombone Collectief, he inspires the younger generation of trombonists. The Slide Monsters, consisting of four leading trombonists from three continents, bridge the gap between classical and jazz, filling venues in America, Europe, and Japan.

As artistic director of the NBE, Brandt aims to highlight the individual qualities of the musicians and bring their talents into the spotlight. Together with the members of the NBE, he wants to continue pushing the boundaries of their instruments and explore surprising collaborations. Through NBE performances, he aims to address important themes such as immigration, climate, and diversity, with the conviction that music can bring connection and understanding where words fall short.

The NBE already plays a leading role in the wind instrument world, with initiatives like jongNBE and the Composer’s Competition. Brandt wants to further strengthen this role by expanding the ensemble’s educational activities. From his experience as a teacher worldwide, he sees that playing together and inspiring teachers are of immeasurable value to young people. With the NBE, he aims to reach all wind players in the Netherlands by playing together, giving concerts in every corner of the country, and showcasing exceptional wind players and wind instruments.