Brandt Attema (Blessum, 1978) is the artistic director and bass trombonist of the Netherlands Wind Ensemble (NBE). In 2024, he succeeded oboist Bart Schneemann, who had shaped the ensemble’s artistic direction since 1988 and given it its unique signature.
Brandt has been a member of the ensemble’s core group as a bass trombonist since 2000. This long-term involvement has had a profound influence on his musical development. In collaboration with composers and arrangers, he has developed unique roles for the (bass) trombone within the NBE, which has strengthened his love for musical diversity. This inspired him to explore new and innovative repertoire outside the NBE in which the bass trombone plays a prominent role.
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 a member of the international quartet Slide Monsters and the Nieuw Trombone Collectief. Together with harpist Astrid Haring, he forms the duo Attema Haring, the first duo in the world to perform the unique combination of harp and bass trombone.
Brandt was bass trombonist with the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra from 1999 to 2019 and is also a guest performer with renowned orchestras throughout Europe. He also taught at Codarts Conservatory in Rotterdam and the Royal Conservatory in The Hague for over ten years. Since 2019, he has been 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 in Splendor Amsterdam, a cultural sanctuary where artists and audiences meet and inspire each other. Here he experiments with unique instrumentations, 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 pioneering 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 and draw full houses in America, Europe and Japan.
As artistic director of the NBE, Brandt wants to emphasise the individual qualities of the musicians and put their talents in the spotlight. Together with the NBE musicians, he wants to continue to push the boundaries of their instruments and enter into surprising collaborations. Through the NBE’s performances, he wants to address important themes such as immigration, climate and diversity, with the conviction that music, where words fail, can bring connection and understanding.
The NBE already plays a pioneering role in the wind instrument world with initiatives such as jongNBE and the Young Composers Competition. Brandt wants to further strengthen this role by expanding the ensemble’s educational activities. In his experience as a teacher worldwide, he has seen that playing together and inspiring teachers are invaluable for young people. With the NBE, he wants to reach all wind players in the Netherlands by playing together, giving concerts in every corner of the country, and presenting special wind players and wind instruments.